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Spencer vs Letcher

30 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (+52% in Spencer) and street grid (2.4× in Spencer).

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Spencer, SDHomes around $267KSouth Dakota · 103 people

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Letcher, SDA small town of 171South Dakota · 171 people

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 →

LetcherA small town of 171

Quiet strengthsLetcher doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Letcher →

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.

Home values+52%

Homes cost more in Spencer

Spencer $155,600Letcher $102,100

Street grid2.4×

Spencer has the more walkable street grid

Spencer 136Letcher 57.9

Typical home built35 yrs

Letcher’s homes are older

Spencer 1993Letcher 1958

Average commute7 min

Letcher has the shorter commute

Spencer 28 minLetcher 21 min

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $970 more a month in Spencer

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%

Spencer$1,640/mo

Typical home $267K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $440/mo · Housing →

Letcher$670/mo

Typical home $102K (Census) · tax rate 1.58% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $970 a month, about $11,700 a year, between Spencer and Letcher.

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

SpencerLetcher

Snow a year36″26″

January low6°F 5°F

July high84°F 86°F

Growing season (days)143d 140d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd 45th

Outdoors & history

SpencerLetcher

National Register places—2

Famous people born here—1

Community

SpencerLetcher

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

30 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SpencerSD LetcherSD

Spencer ↔ Letcher30 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

SpencerLetcher

People

Population 103Lowest 171Highest

Median age 36.8±25.3Lowest 3% below SD 38.4±8.2Highest about the SD average

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

Kids under 18 20.4%±14.3Lowest SD: 24.2% 29.2%±10.4Highest SD: 24.2%

Letcher and Spencer 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% 16.4%±11.3Lowest SD: 18%

Spencer and Letcher 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% 17.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±13.7Lowest SD: 5% 11.1%±8.2Highest SD: 5%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $67,188±$29kLowest 11% below SD $81,042±$24kHighest 8% above SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $155,600±$24kHighest 40% below SD $102,100±$18kLowest 60% below SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $440±$133Lowest 53% below SD $725±$195Highest 23% below SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,722Highest 37% below SD $1,614Lowest 41% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest SD: 39.8% 85.7%±78.5Highest SD: 39.8%

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

Below poverty line 2.9%Lowest SD: 11.9% 24%Highest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Highest SD: 68.6% 80%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 13 yrs newer than SD 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 60% above SD 21 minLowest 20% above SD

Work from home 13.3%±10.7Highest SD: 9.7% 6.6%±5Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 1.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 41.3 miHighest 15.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.20Lowest 0.21Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (27%)Woonsocket (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LetcherFew work in Spencer

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 0.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 136Highest 57.9Lowest

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.

Letcher neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Letcher’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Spencer

Patten Township97 people

Fulton84 people · $154K homes

Brentford83 people

New Hope Township80 people

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.