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 →

Hudson$900/mo

Typical home $151K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · Housing →

The difference: $810 a month, about $9,700 a year, between Wakonda and Hudson.

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

WakondaHudson

Snow a year31″34″

January low7°F —

July high84°F —

Growing season (days)151d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)66th 53rd

Outdoors & history

WakondaHudson

Settled1888 —

National Register places2 1

Archive photos—2

Famous people born here—2

Community

WakondaHudson

Library hours a week—15 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

34 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WakondaSD HudsonSD

Wakonda ↔ Hudson34 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

WakondaHudson

People

Population 399Highest 382Lowest

Median age 54.4±16.3Lowest 43% above SD 60.5±5.5Highest 59% above SD

Hudson 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% 14.9%±7.6Lowest SD: 24.2%

Wakonda and Hudson 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% 30.9%±10.9Lowest SD: 18%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 14%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.5%±2.6Lowest SD: 5% 2.1%±3.6Highest SD: 5%

Hudson 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 $66,429±$15kHighest 12% below SD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $107,100±$15kLowest 58% below SD $150,500±$57kHighest 42% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $807±$275 15% below SD —

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,680Highest 38% below SD $1,307Lowest 52% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 73.3%±78.5Highest SD: 39.8% 24.3%±28.6Lowest SD: 39.8%

Wakonda and Hudson 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% 17%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 81.5%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1944Highest 36 yrs older than SD 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 31% above SD 20 minLowest 11% above SD

Work from home 9.4%±7.3Highest SD: 9.7% 2.2%±2.6Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.2%Lowest 3.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 30.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 1.11Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Vermillion (21%)Sioux Falls (31%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 102Lowest 156Highest

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.

Hudson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hudson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Wakonda and Hudson

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

Towns like Wakonda

+ Compare

Faith297 people · $151K homes

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Pukwana300 people · $100K homes

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Tabor369 people · $144K homes

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Buffalo278 people · $114K 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 Hudson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $810 more a month in Wakonda

What daily life feels like in each

34 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wakonda and Hudson

Towns like Wakonda

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