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Compare towns

Tea vs Dell Rapids

26 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+37.1 pts in Tea) and work from home (+12.2 pts in Tea).

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Tea, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 6,786 people
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Dell Rapids, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 3,905 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.

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.

★ What stands out · 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 →
Dell Rapids$2,330/mo
Typical home $371K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $962/mo · Housing →

The difference: $100 a month, about $1,100 a year, between Tea and Dell Rapids.

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

Tea places higher on 10 of 21 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.

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
TeaDell Rapids
Snow a year49″40″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th60th
Outdoors & history
TeaDell Rapids
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land2.2%2.6%
Settled18941871
National Register places113
Community
TeaDell Rapids
Library hours a week17 hrs54 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

26 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TeaDell RapidsTeaDell Rapids
Tea ↔ Dell Rapids26 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.

TeaDell Rapids
People
Population 6,786Highest 3,905Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +47.1%Highest SD: +8.9% +10%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 30.6±2.2Lowest 19% below SD 39.3±2.1Highest 3% above SD
Kids under 18 36.3%±5.8Highest SD: 24.2% 26.3%±4.5Lowest SD: 24.2%
Tea and Dell Rapids are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 5.5%±2Lowest SD: 18% 18%±3.8Highest SD: 18%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 47.1%Highest SD: 31.9% 38.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.4%±1.2Lowest SD: 5% 2%±1.2Highest SD: 5%
Dell Rapids 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 $100,170±$17kLowest 33% above SD
Tea and Dell Rapids 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 $301,700±$31kLowest 17% above SD
Tea and Dell Rapids 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 $962±$79Lowest about the SD average
Tea and Dell Rapids 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 $3,748Lowest 38% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.9%±23.2Highest SD: 39.8% 38.6%±13.2Lowest SD: 39.8%
Tea and Dell Rapids are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.7%Lowest SD: 11.9% 9.4%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 79.7%Lowest SD: 68.6% 82.3%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2004Highest 24 yrs newer than SD 1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 13% above SD 25 minHighest 39% above SD
Work from home 19.7%±5.8Highest SD: 9.7% 7.5%±3.4Lowest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 9.8%Lowest 15.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 19.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Highest 0.46Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (67%)Sioux Falls (51%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Dell RapidsFew work in Tea
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Lowest 2.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miHighest 1.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 69.3Lowest 78.0Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #3 of 34 in SD#2 of 34 in SD
School district Tea Area School District 41-5Dell Rapids School District 49-3
High school in town Tea Area High School - 03Dell Rapids High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Highest 16.4Lowest
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.

Dell Rapids neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 5d

New Local Spot to Check Out

1 neighbor in Dell Rapids can answer.

Add a town

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Bordering Tea

Towns like Tea

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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