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Spencer vs Fort Township

132 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (341× in Spencer) and jobs per worker (5× in Fort Township).

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Spencer, SDHomes around $267KSouth Dakota · 103 people
F ×
Fort Township, SDAn outdoors townMarshall County · 75 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

SpencerHomes around $267K
Housing$267K typical home17% below the SD typical home All about Spencer →
Fort TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors62.4% conserved land1.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Fort Township →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid341×
Spencer has the more walkable street grid
Spencer 136Fort Township 0.4
Jobs per worker5×
Fort Township is more of a job hub
Fort Township 1.00Spencer 0.20
Conserved land+62.3 pts
Fort Township has more conserved land
Fort Township 62.4%Spencer 0.1%
Average commute20 min
Spencer has the shorter commute
Fort Township 49 minSpencer 28 min
Bachelor’s degree++8.1 pts
More adults in Spencer have a degree
Spencer 18.1%Fort Township 10%
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
SpencerFort Township
Snow a year36″48″
January low6°F3°F
July high84°F82°F
Growing season (days)143d160d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd22nd
Outdoors & history
SpencerFort Township
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—62.4%
National Register places—1
Community
SpencerFort Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

132 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SpencerSDFort TownshipMarshall County
Spencer ↔ Fort Township132 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.

SpencerFort Township
People
Population 103Highest 75Lowest
Median age 36.8±25.3Lowest 3% below SD 37.3±6.3Highest about the SD average
Fort Township and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.4%±14.3Highest SD: 24.2% 20%±37.6Lowest SD: 24.2%
Spencer and Fort Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.3%±21.8Highest SD: 18% 0%±46.2Lowest SD: 18%
Spencer and Fort Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.1%Highest SD: 31.9% 10%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±13.7 SD: 5% 0%±18.9 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $67,188±$29kHighest 11% below SD $39,070±$942Lowest 48% below SD
Spencer and Fort Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $155,600±$24k 40% below SD —
Rentmedian gross, monthly $440±$133 53% below SD —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,722 37% below SD —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100 SD: 39.8% 0%±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line 2.9%Highest SD: 11.9% 0%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Lowest SD: 68.6% 85.2%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD 1984Lowest 4 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 60% above SD 49 minHighest 173% above SD
Work from home 13.3%±10.7Highest SD: 9.7% 5%±9.2Lowest SD: 9.7%
Spencer and Fort Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 6.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 41.3 miHighest 13.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.20Lowest 1.00Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (27%)Britton (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Fort TownshipFew work in Spencer
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 62.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 136Highest 0.4Lowest
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.

Spencer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spencer’s Town Square.

Fort Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fort Township’s Town Square.

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Towns like Spencer

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Patten Township97 people
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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.

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