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Timber Lake vs Willow Lake

177 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+85% in Willow Lake) and jobs per worker (2.6× in Timber Lake).

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Timber Lake, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 779 people
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Willow Lake, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 433 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.

Timber LakeA regional job hub
Work449 jobsbased in Timber Lake, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 92%of SD districts All about Timber Lake →
Willow LakeKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Willow Lake →
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.

Property tax bill+85%
Tax bills are bigger in Willow Lake
Willow Lake $2,212Timber Lake $1,198
Jobs per worker2.6×
Timber Lake is more of a job hub
Timber Lake 2.72Willow Lake 1.03
Work in town+16 pts
More of Timber Lake’s workers stay in town
Timber Lake 21.8%Willow Lake 5.8%
Average commute8 min
Willow Lake has the shorter commute
Timber Lake 30 minWillow Lake 23 min
Typical home built15 yrs
Willow Lake’s homes are older
Timber Lake 1964Willow Lake 1949
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Willow Lake

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.

Timber Lake$530/mo
Typical home $81K (Census) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $546/mo · Housing →
Willow Lake$970/mo
Typical home $149K (Census) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $815/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,300 a year, between Willow Lake and Timber Lake.

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

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
ATimber LakeBetter than 92% of districts in the state CWillow LakeBetter than 31% 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
Timber LakeWillow Lake
Snow a year41″48″
January low7°F—
July high86°F—
Growing season (days)141d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)55th39th
Outdoors & history
Timber LakeWillow Lake
Settled1911—
National Register places11
Community
Timber LakeWillow Lake
Library hours a week36 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

177 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Timber LakeSDWillow LakeSD
Timber Lake ↔ Willow Lake177 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.

Timber LakeWillow Lake
People
Population 779Highest 433Lowest
Median age 23.8±3Highest 37% below SD 17.5±6.9Lowest 54% below SD
Timber Lake and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 42.6%±4.4Lowest SD: 24.2% 51%±30.2Highest SD: 24.2%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 6.8%±2.9Lowest SD: 18% 8.8%±4.7Highest SD: 18%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.9%Highest SD: 31.9% 18.7%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.8Lowest SD: 5% 3%±2.1Highest SD: 5%
Willow Lake 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 $60,694±$8kLowest 19% below SD $72,875±$19kHighest about the SD average
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $81,400±$24kLowest 68% below SD $149,000±$52kHighest 42% below SD
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $546±$232Lowest 42% below SD $815±$256Highest 14% below SD
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,198Lowest 56% below SD $2,212Highest 19% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 20.5%±17Highest SD: 39.8% 4.8%±41.7Lowest SD: 39.8%
Timber Lake and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.8%Highest SD: 11.9% 1.2%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 63.5%Highest SD: 68.6% 62.2%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Highest 16 yrs older than SD 1949Lowest 31 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 71% above SD 23 minLowest 26% above SD
Work from home 8.7%±8.8Lowest SD: 9.7% 15.6%±18.7Highest SD: 9.7%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 21.8%Highest 5.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.3 miLowest 30.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.72Highest 1.03Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town North Eagle Butte (24%)Clark (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Willow LakeFew work in Timber Lake
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 85.8Highest 64.2Lowest
Schools
School district Timber Lake School District 20-3Willow Lake School District 12-3
High school in town Timber Lake High School - 01Willow Lake High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 12.9Highest 11.1Lowest
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.

Timber Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Timber Lake’s Town Square.

Willow Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Willow Lake’s Town Square.

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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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