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.

Down paymentRate%

Wakonda$1,710/mo

Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $807/mo · Housing →

Buffalo$1,300/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $5,000 a year, between Wakonda and Buffalo.

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

WakondaBuffalo

Snow a year31″51″

January low7°F 9°F

July high84°F 87°F

Growing season (days)151d 131d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)66th 71st

Outdoors & history

WakondaBuffalo

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled1888 1909

National Register places2 1

Community

WakondaBuffalo

Library hours a week—20 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

365 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WakondaSD BuffaloSD

Wakonda ↔ Buffalo365 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.

Only big differences vs South Dakota average

WakondaBuffalo

People

Population 399Highest 278Lowest

Median age 54.4±16.3Lowest 43% above SD 57.2±6.6Highest 51% above SD

Buffalo and Wakonda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 21.8%±7.8Highest SD: 24.2% 10.8%±8.1Lowest SD: 24.2%

Wakonda and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 36.1%±6.9Highest SD: 18% 20.5%±7.4Lowest SD: 18%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 15.8%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5% 0.7%±3.7Highest SD: 5%

Buffalo and Wakonda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $61,250±$10kLowest 18% below SD $85,104±$10kHighest 13% above SD

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $107,100±$15kLowest 58% below SD $114,100±$44kHighest 56% below SD

Buffalo and Wakonda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $807±$275Highest 15% below SD $725±$321Lowest 23% below SD

Wakonda and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,680Lowest 38% below SD $1,735Highest 36% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 73.3%±78.5Highest SD: 39.8% 11.5%±66.9Lowest SD: 39.8%

Wakonda and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 20.1%Highest SD: 11.9% 6.8%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 82%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1944Lowest 36 yrs older than SD 1953Highest 27 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 31% above SD 10 minLowest 42% below SD

Work from home 9.4%±7.3Highest SD: 9.7% 5.5%±4.7Lowest SD: 9.7%

Wakonda and Buffalo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 3.2%Lowest 24.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 1.24Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Vermillion (21%)Camp Crook (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BuffaloFew work in Wakonda

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 102Highest 96.3Lowest

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.

Wakonda neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wakonda’s Town Square.

Buffalo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buffalo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Wakonda and Buffalo

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

Towns like Wakonda

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Faith297 people · $151K homes

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Pukwana300 people · $100K homes

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Tabor369 people · $144K homes

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Hudson382 people · $151K 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.

Wakonda vs Buffalo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Wakonda

What daily life feels like in each

365 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wakonda and Buffalo

Towns like Wakonda

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