A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

South Shore$3,230/mo

Typical home $530K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $642/mo · Housing →

Buffalo$1,300/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,940 a month, about $23,200 a year, between South Shore and Buffalo.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

South ShoreBuffalo

Snow a year59″51″

January low2°F 9°F

July high82°F 87°F

Growing season (days)136d 131d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th 71st

Outdoors & history

South ShoreBuffalo

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled—1909

National Register places—1

Community

South ShoreBuffalo

Library hours a week—20 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

323 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

South ShoreSD BuffaloSD

South Shore ↔ Buffalo323 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

South ShoreBuffalo

People

Population 183Lowest 278Highest

Median age 54.8±16.4Lowest 44% above SD 57.2±6.6Highest 51% above SD

Buffalo and South Shore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.1%±13.8Highest SD: 24.2% 10.8%±8.1Lowest SD: 24.2%

South Shore and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 28.4%±17.4Highest SD: 18% 20.5%±7.4Lowest SD: 18%

South Shore and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.8%Lowest SD: 31.9% 15.8%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.5%±6.1Lowest SD: 5% 0.7%±3.7Highest SD: 5%

Buffalo and South Shore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,944±$10kLowest 24% below SD $85,104±$10kHighest 13% above SD

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $86,800±$22kLowest 66% below SD $114,100±$44kHighest 56% below SD

Buffalo and South Shore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $642±$97Lowest 32% below SD $725±$321Highest 23% below SD

Buffalo and South Shore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $884Lowest 68% below SD $1,735Highest 36% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40%±100Highest SD: 39.8% 11.5%±66.9Lowest SD: 39.8%

South Shore and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 20%Highest SD: 11.9% 6.8%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 86.7%Highest SD: 68.6% 82%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1963Highest 17 yrs older than SD 1953Lowest 27 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 35% above SD 10 minLowest 42% below SD

Work from home 0%±9.1Lowest SD: 9.7% 5.5%±4.7Highest SD: 9.7%

Buffalo and South Shore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 24.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 1.24Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (61%)Camp Crook (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BuffaloFew work in South Shore

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.9%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 19.4Lowest 96.3Highest

South Dakota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

South Shore neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to South Shore’s Town Square.

Buffalo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buffalo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside South Shore and Buffalo

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like South Shore

+ Compare

Midland135 people · $58K homes

+ Compare

Pukwana300 people · $100K homes

+ Compare

Geddes158 people · $88K homes

+ Compare

Grant Township177 people

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Dakota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

South Shore vs Buffalo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,940 more a month in South Shore

What daily life feels like in each

323 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside South Shore and Buffalo

Towns like South Shore

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