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Compare towns

Wagner vs Gregory

58 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (2.5× in Wagner) and work in town (+13.8 pts in Wagner).

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Wagner, SDOne of the safest townsSouth Dakota · 1,529 people
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Gregory, SDA small town of 1,379South Dakota · 1,379 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.

WagnerOne of the safest towns
SafetySafer than 5%of U.S. towns we grade Work1,047 jobsbased in Wagner, a regional job hub Health90% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Wagner →
GregoryA small town of 1,379
Quiet strengthsGregory doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Gregory →
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.

Jobs per worker2.5×
Wagner is more of a job hub
Wagner 2.06Gregory 0.82
Work in town+13.8 pts
More of Wagner’s workers stay in town
Wagner 42.7%Gregory 28.9%
Homeowners+10.3 pts renters
Wagner has more renters
Gregory 65.8%Wagner 55.5%
Work from home+4.3 pts
More people work from home in Gregory
Gregory 5.2%Wagner 0.9%
★ What stands out · 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.

Safety
DWagnerSafer than 5% of U.S. towns –GregoryNot graded
Schools
CWagnerBetter than 26% of districts in the state C+GregoryBetter than 42% of districts in the state
Health
DWagnerHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns B−GregoryHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns
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.

Wagner$850/mo
Typical home $136K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · or rent about $684/mo · Housing →
Gregory$730/mo
Typical home $115K (Census) · tax rate 1.28% · or rent about $633/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Wagner and Gregory.

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
WagnerGregory
Snow a year31″45″
January low12°F10°F
July high87°F87°F
Growing season (days)165d149d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd50th
Outdoors & history
WagnerGregory
Settled19001904
National Register places—2
Archive photos34
Famous people born here31
Community
WagnerGregory
Library hours a week38 hrs26 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

58 miles apart

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

WagnerSDGregorySD
Wagner ↔ Gregory58 miles apart
Who commutes between them
9 Gregory residents work in Wagner (1.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Gregory →
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.

WagnerGregory
People
Population 1,529Highest 1,379Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.9%Highest SD: +8.9% -5.7%Lowest SD: +8.9%
Median age 34.3±5.1Lowest 10% below SD 38.9±3.5Highest about the SD average
Gregory and Wagner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 29.8%±5Highest SD: 24.2% 29.1%±4.6Lowest SD: 24.2%
Wagner and Gregory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.6%±4Lowest SD: 18% 23.9%±3.8Highest SD: 18%
Gregory and Wagner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.6%Highest SD: 31.9% 18.6%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.4Highest SD: 5% 0.9%±1.3Lowest SD: 5%
Wagner and Gregory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $47,462±$6kLowest 37% below SD $51,450±$8kHighest 31% below SD
Gregory and Wagner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $136,000±$16kHighest 47% below SD $115,300±$15kLowest 55% below SD
Wagner and Gregory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $684±$127Highest 28% below SD $633±$107Lowest 33% below SD
Wagner and Gregory are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,607Highest 41% below SD $1,479Lowest 46% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 34.9%±11.9Lowest SD: 39.8% 36.2%±15.9Highest SD: 39.8%
Gregory and Wagner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.7%Highest SD: 11.9% 7.3%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 55.5%Lowest SD: 68.6% 65.8%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than SD 1965Highest 15 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 33% below SD 14 minHighest 22% below SD
Work from home 0.9%±1Lowest SD: 9.7% 5.2%±2.4Highest SD: 9.7%
Work in townworking residents 42.7%Highest 28.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 22.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.06Highest 0.82Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Dante (11%)Sioux Falls (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Gregory2% work in Wagner
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 58.1Lowest 73.0Highest
Schools
School district Wagner Community School District 11-4Gregory School District 26-4
High school in town Wagner High School - 01Gregory High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 11.7Highest 10.5Lowest
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.

Wagner neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wagner’s Town Square.

Gregory neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gregory’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Wagner and Gregory

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

Bordering Wagner

B
+ Compare
Bryan Township341 people · $293K homes
L
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Lawrence Township501 people · $259K homes

Towns like Wagner

+ Compare
Sisseton2,670 people · $109K homes
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Flandreau2,392 people · $150K homes
E
+ Compare
Elkton977 people · $185K homes
F
+ Compare
Faulkton670 people · $100K 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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