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St. Francis vs Timber Lake

158 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (6× in Timber Lake) and average commute (15 min in St. Francis).

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St. Francis, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 593 people
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Timber Lake, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 779 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.

St. FrancisKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 4%of SD districts Work442 jobsbased in St. Francis, a regional job hub All about St. Francis →
Timber LakeA regional job hub
Work449 jobsbased in Timber Lake, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 92%of SD districts All about Timber Lake →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Property tax bill6×
Tax bills are bigger in Timber Lake
Timber Lake $1,198St. Francis $199
Average commute15 min
St. Francis has the shorter commute
Timber Lake 30 minSt. Francis 16 min
Jobs per worker2.3×
St. Francis is more of a job hub
St. Francis 6.31Timber Lake 2.72
Trails2×
St. Francis has more miles of trail
St. Francis 0.4 miTimber Lake 0.2 mi
Homeowners+14.1 pts renters
St. Francis has more renters
Timber Lake 63.5%St. Francis 49.4%
Typical home built13 yrs
Timber Lake’s homes are older
St. Francis 1977Timber Lake 1964
★ What stands out · Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every South Dakota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
D−St. FrancisBetter than 4% of districts in the state ATimber LakeBetter than 92% of districts in the state
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
St. FrancisTimber Lake
Snow a year41″41″
January low11°F7°F
July high87°F86°F
Growing season (days)145d141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)63rd55th
Outdoors & history
St. FrancisTimber Lake
Settled—1911
National Register places11
Archive photos3—
Community
St. FrancisTimber Lake
Library hours a week—36 hrs
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

158 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

St. FrancisSDTimber LakeSD
St. Francis ↔ Timber Lake158 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.

St. FrancisTimber Lake
People
Population 593Lowest 779Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -33.9% SD: +8.9% —
Median age 24.8±9.6Highest 35% below SD 23.8±3Lowest 37% below SD
St. Francis and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 42%±22.5Lowest SD: 24.2% 42.6%±4.4Highest SD: 24.2%
Timber Lake and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 5.7%±3.5Lowest SD: 18% 6.8%±2.9Highest SD: 18%
Timber Lake and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.4%Highest SD: 31.9% 22.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.2%±4.9Highest SD: 5% 2.2%±1.8Lowest SD: 5%
St. Francis and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $42,083±$21kLowest 44% below SD $60,694±$8kHighest 19% below SD
Timber Lake and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $81,400±$24k 68% below SD
Rentmedian gross, monthly $567±$165Highest 40% below SD $546±$232Lowest 42% below SD
St. Francis and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $199Lowest 93% below SD $1,198Highest 56% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.2%±24.4Lowest SD: 39.8% 20.5%±17Highest SD: 39.8%
Timber Lake and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 34.1%Highest SD: 11.9% 15.8%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 49.4%Lowest SD: 68.6% 63.5%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 3 yrs older than SD 1964Lowest 16 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 12% below SD 30 minHighest 71% above SD
Work from home 4.9%±6.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 8.7%±8.8Highest SD: 9.7%
Timber Lake and St. Francis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 25.7%Highest 21.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.8 miLowest 30.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 6.31Highest 2.72Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Two Strike (31%)North Eagle Butte (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Timber LakeFew work in St. Francis
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 102Highest 85.8Lowest
Schools
School district —Timber Lake School District 20-3
High school in town —Timber Lake High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.9
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.

St. Francis neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Francis’s Town Square.

Timber Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Timber Lake’s Town Square.

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Towns like St. Francis

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Eagle Butte1,458 people · $66K homes
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.

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