Compare towns
Utica vs Mellette Township
159 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (174× in Mellette Township) and street grid (90.3× in Utica).
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Utica, SD A small town of 68 South Dakota · 68 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.
Utica A small town of 68
Quiet strengths Utica doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Utica →
Mellette Township A small town of 67
Quiet strengths Mellette Township doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Mellette Township →
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.
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
Utica Mellette Township
Growing season (days) 164d —
Outdoors & history
Utica Mellette Township
National Register places 4 —
Famous people born here — 1
Community
Utica Mellette Township
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 159 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Utica ↔ Mellette Township 159 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Utica Mellette Township
People
Population
68 Highest
67 Lowest
Median age
52 ±21.3 Lowest
37% above SD
55.9 ±19.7 Highest
47% above SD
Mellette Township and Utica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
26.5% ±32 Highest
SD: 24.2%
13.4% ±34 Lowest
SD: 24.2%
Utica and Mellette Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
27.9% ±30.2 Lowest
SD: 18%
47.8% ±39.6 Highest
SD: 18%
Mellette Township and Utica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
18% Lowest
SD: 31.9%
22.4% Highest
SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±20.8
SD: 5%
0% ±21.1
SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$51,000 ±$9k Lowest
32% below SD
$62,500 ±$39k Highest
17% below SD
Mellette Township and Utica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$52,500 ±$24k
80% below SD
—
Property taxmedian, yearly
$540
80% below SD
—
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
33.3% ±100
SD: 39.8%
—
Below poverty line
4.4% Highest
SD: 11.9%
0% Lowest
SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
81.3% Highest
SD: 68.6%
78.1% Lowest
SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1960 Highest
20 yrs older than SD
1943 Lowest
37 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
21 min Lowest
16% above SD
28 min Highest
54% above SD
Work from home
4% ±7.6 Lowest
SD: 9.7%
33.3% ±22.6 Highest
SD: 9.7%
Mellette Township and Utica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents
0% Lowest
1.9% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
10.8 mi Lowest
23.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
1.50 Highest
1.23 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Yankton (42%) Sioux Falls (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Mellette Township Few work in Utica
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest
2% Highest
Trailsmapped miles
0.2 mi Lowest
34.8 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.7 mi Highest
0.5 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0
0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
72.2 Highest
0.8 Lowest
South Dakota average“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Utica or Mellette Township: which would you pick? →
What’s it really like to live in Utica? →
Moving to Utica: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Utica’s Town Square.
Mellette Township or Utica: which would you pick? →
What’s it really like to live in Mellette Township? →
Moving to Mellette Township: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Mellette Township’s Town Square.
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Towns like Utica 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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