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%

Summerset$2,670/mo

Typical home $431K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.14% · or rent about $1,288/mo · Housing →

Big Sioux Township$3,100/mo

Typical home $502K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $1,225/mo · Housing →

The difference: $430 a month, about $5,100 a year, between Big Sioux Township and Summerset.

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.

Report cards

Big Sioux Township places higher on 12 of 17 SD lists

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.

Safety

B+SummersetSafer than 72% of U.S. towns –Big Sioux TownshipNot graded

Schools

CSummersetBetter than 30% of districts in the state –Big Sioux TownshipNot graded

Health

A−SummersetHealthier than 82% of U.S. towns ABig Sioux TownshipHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns

5Summerset

12Big Sioux Township

Lists won, of 17 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 33 towns #33#3 Lowest depressionHealth · 37 towns #34#3 Most remote workersWork · 37 towns #30#5 Shortest commuteGetting around · 37 towns #26#8 Fewest smokersHealth · 37 towns #21#4 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 37 towns #18#32 Most educatedPeople · 37 towns #12#2 HealthiestHealth · 37 towns #13#4

Left end = #1 in South Dakota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Summerset’s rankings →

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

SummersetBig Sioux Township

Snow a year36″36″

January low13°F 10°F

July high84°F 85°F

Growing season (days)147d 159d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)84th 86th

Outdoors & history

SummersetBig Sioux Township

Trails—22 mi

Conserved land—18.8%

Settled2005 —

Community

SummersetBig Sioux 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.

Where they are

362 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SummersetSD Big Sioux TownshipUnion County

Summerset ↔ Big Sioux Township362 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

SummersetBig Sioux Township

People

Population 3,022Lowest 4,917Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +63.8%Highest SD: +8.9% +43.7%Lowest SD: +8.9%

Median age 35.1±2.9Lowest 8% below SD 41.7±4Highest 10% above SD

Big Sioux Township and Summerset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29.3%±5.4Highest SD: 24.2% 25.6%±5.4Lowest SD: 24.2%

Summerset and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 8.2%±2.3Lowest SD: 18% 19.7%±4.3Highest SD: 18%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 38.4%Lowest SD: 31.9% 56.3%Highest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±2.4Highest SD: 5% 1.3%±1.5Lowest SD: 5%

Summerset and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $119,271±$14kLowest 59% above SD $128,005±$21kHighest 70% above SD

Big Sioux Township and Summerset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $368,300±$25kLowest 43% above SD $502,200±$66kHighest 95% above SD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,288±$116Highest 36% above SD $1,225±$89Lowest 29% above SD

Summerset and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,204Lowest 54% above SD $5,567Highest 104% above SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.3%±21.1Highest SD: 39.8% 38.8%±19.9Lowest SD: 39.8%

Summerset and Big Sioux Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 8.6%Highest SD: 11.9% 3.2%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 78.7%Highest SD: 68.6% 73.8%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2007Highest 27 yrs newer than SD 2003Lowest 23 yrs newer than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 11% above SD 12 minLowest 31% below SD

Work from home 4.3%±2.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 11.2%±7.4Highest SD: 9.7%

Big Sioux Township and Summerset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 2.9%Lowest 28.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miHighest 4.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.37Lowest 1.85Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rapid City (62%)North Sioux City (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Big Sioux TownshipFew work in Summerset

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 18.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miLowest 22.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 1.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.2Highest 16.5Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #29 of 34 in SD—

School district Meade School District 46-1—

High school in town None in town—

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.

Summerset neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Summerset’s Town Square.

Big Sioux Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Big Sioux Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Summerset and Big Sioux Township

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Bordering Summerset

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Blackhawk2,934 people · $273K homes

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Piedmont981 people · $324K homes

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Wonderland Homes745 people · $265K homes

Towns like Summerset

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Dell Rapids3,905 people · $302K homes

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Hartford3,478 people · $258K homes

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Elk Point2,537 people · $249K homes

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Medary Township1,452 people · $312K homes

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.

Summerset vs Big Sioux Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $430 more a month in Big Sioux Township

Big Sioux Township places higher on 12 of 17 SD lists

What daily life feels like in each

362 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Summerset and Big Sioux Township

Bordering Summerset

Towns like Summerset

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