Compare towns

Spring Lake Township vs Bates Township

Next-door neighbors in Hand County. The biggest differences: trails (6.1× in Spring Lake Township) and conserved land (+18.9 pts in Bates Township).

S ×

Spring Lake Township, SDAn outdoors townHand County · 55 people

B ×

Bates Township, SDA small town of 0Hand County

Swap order

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.

Spring Lake TownshipAn outdoors town

Outdoors30.8% conserved land4.3 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves All about Spring Lake Township →

Bates TownshipA small town of 0

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

All about Bates 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.

Trails6.1×

Spring Lake Township has more miles of trail

Spring Lake Township 4.3 miBates Township 0.7 mi

Conserved land+18.9 pts

Bates Township has more conserved land

Bates Township 49.7%Spring Lake Township 30.8%

★ What stands out · Where they are

Spring Lake Township and Bates Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Spring Lake TownshipBates Township

Spring Lake Township ↔ Bates Township5.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

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

Spring Lake TownshipBates Township

Snow a year45″45″

January low7°F 7°F

July high84°F 84°F

Growing season (days)157d 157d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd 62nd

Outdoors & history

Spring Lake TownshipBates Township

Trails4 mi —

Conserved land30.8%—

Archive photos—1

Community

Spring Lake TownshipBates Township

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.

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

Spring Lake TownshipBates Township

People

Population 55Highest 0Lowest

Median age 61±64.4 61% above SD —

Kids under 18 29.1%±42.5 SD: 24.2% —

Age 65+ 9.1%±61.1 SD: 18% —

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.2% SD: 31.9% —

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±25.7 SD: 5% —

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,293±$26k 6% above SD —

Below poverty line 0% SD: 11.9% —

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 30.3% SD: 68.6% —

Typical home builtmedian year 1938 42 yrs older than SD —

Getting to work

Work from home 15.2%±19.6 SD: 9.7% —

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miLowest 34.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.00Lowest 0.11Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Miller (42%)Miller (22%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Bates TownshipFew work in Spring Lake Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 30.8%Lowest 49.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.3 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.6Lowest 0.7Highest

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.

Spring Lake Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spring Lake Township’s Town Square.

Bates Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bates Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Spring Lake Township and Bates Township

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

Bordering Spring Lake Township

+ Compare

Hiland Township

+ Compare

Pleasant Valley Township10 people

+ Compare

Marlar Township8 people

Towns like Spring Lake Township

+ Compare

Shelby Township91 people

+ Compare

Miner Township26 people

+ Compare

Brunson Township52 people

+ Compare

Starr Township40 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.

Spring Lake Township vs Bates Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Spring Lake Township and Bates Township share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Spring Lake Township and Bates Township

Bordering Spring Lake Township

Towns like Spring Lake Township

Post to Spring Lake Township

Check your email