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Tea vs Brandon

15 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+21.3 pts in Tea) and trails (2.2× in Tea).

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Tea, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 6,786 people
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Brandon, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 10,996 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.

TeaKnown for its schools
Schools#3 for schools in SDof 34 towns Housing$389K typical home21% above the SD typical home HealthHealthier than 90%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Tea →
BrandonKnown for its schools
Schools#1 for schools in SDof 34 towns HealthHealthier than 90%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$395K typical home23% above the SD typical home All about Brandon →
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.

Growth since 2010+21.3 pts
Tea has grown faster since 2010
Tea +47.1%Brandon +25.8%
Trails2.2×
Tea has more miles of trail
Tea 2.0 miBrandon 0.9 mi
Age 65++9.3 pts
Brandon has more people 65 and up
Brandon 14.8%Tea 5.5%
Median age6.1 yrs
Brandon skews older
Brandon 36.7Tea 30.6
★ What stands out · Report cards

Tea places higher on 9 of 20 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
BTeaSafer than 59% of U.S. towns –BrandonNot graded
Schools
A−TeaBetter than 79% of districts in the state ABrandonBetter than 91% of districts in the state
Health
ATeaHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns ABrandonHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns
9Tea
8Brandon

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Cheapest rentCost of living · 34 towns #29#20 Most walkableOutdoors · 37 towns #9#18 Most conserved landOutdoors · 33 towns #23#15 Most new homesHousing · 31 towns #3#9 Lowest obesityHealth · 37 towns #23#16 Shortest commuteGetting around · 37 towns #31#24 Highest graduation rateSchools · 33 towns #4#1 Fastest growingGrowth · 36 towns #4#7

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Tea$2,420/mo
Typical home $389K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,220/mo · Housing →
Brandon$2,450/mo
Typical home $395K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.15% · or rent about $976/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
TeaBrandon
Snow a year49″49″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th55th
Outdoors & history
TeaBrandon
Trails2 mi1 mi
Conserved land2.2%3.4%
Settled1894—
National Register places1—
Archive photos—5
Famous people born here—3
Community
TeaBrandon
Library hours a week17 hrs56 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

15 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

TeaBrandonTeaBrandon
Tea ↔ Brandon15 miles apart
Who commutes between them
34 Tea residents work in Brandon (1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Tea →
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.

TeaBrandon
People
Population 6,786Lowest 10,996Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +47.1%Highest SD: +8.9% +25.8%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 30.6±2.2Lowest 19% below SD 36.7±2.2Highest 3% below SD
Kids under 18 36.3%±5.8Highest SD: 24.2% 32.4%±3.7Lowest SD: 24.2%
Tea and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 5.5%±2Lowest SD: 18% 14.8%±2.7Highest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 47.1%Highest SD: 31.9% 41.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.4%±1.2Lowest SD: 5% 1.6%±0.7Highest SD: 5%
Brandon and Tea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $120,139±$19kHighest 60% above SD $110,806±$10kLowest 48% above SD
Tea and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $351,100±$26kHighest 36% above SD $336,600±$19kLowest 31% above SD
Tea and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,220±$260Highest 29% above SD $976±$73Lowest 3% above SD
Tea and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,166Highest 53% above SD $3,886Lowest 43% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.9%±23.2Highest SD: 39.8% 35%±11Lowest SD: 39.8%
Tea and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.7%Highest SD: 11.9% 1.4%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 79.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 80.1%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2004Highest 24 yrs newer than SD 2001Lowest 21 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 13% above SD 18 minLowest 3% above SD
Work from home 19.7%±5.8Highest SD: 9.7% 18.8%±4.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
Tea and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 9.8%Lowest 17.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 8.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Lowest 0.61Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (67%)Sioux Falls (60%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in BrandonFew work in Tea
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Lowest 3.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 7Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 69.3Highest 59.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #3 of 34 in SD#1 of 34 in SD
School district Tea Area School District 41-5Brandon Valley School District 49-2
High school in town Tea Area High School - 03Brandon Valley High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Lowest 20.5Highest
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.

Tea neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tea’s Town Square.

Brandon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brandon’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tea and Brandon

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

Bordering Tea

D
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Delapre Township2,025 people · $472K homes

Towns like Tea

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Harrisburg8,519 people · $312K homes
S
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Summerset3,022 people · $368K homes
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Dell Rapids3,905 people · $302K homes
H
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Hartford3,478 people · $258K 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.

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