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 →

Pukwana$620/mo

Typical home $100K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · or rent about $1,063/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,090 a month, about $13,000 a year, between Wakonda and Pukwana.

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

WakondaPukwana

Snow a year31″43″

January low7°F 9°F

July high84°F 87°F

Growing season (days)151d 156d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)66th 65th

Outdoors & history

WakondaPukwana

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—21.3%

Settled1888 1881

National Register places2 1

Community

WakondaPukwana

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

117 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WakondaSD PukwanaSD

Wakonda ↔ Pukwana117 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

WakondaPukwana

People

Population 399Highest 300Lowest

Median age 54.4±16.3Highest 43% above SD 52.3±14.7Lowest 38% above SD

Wakonda and Pukwana 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% 17.3%±9.4Lowest SD: 24.2%

Wakonda and Pukwana 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% 19.7%±9.7Lowest SD: 18%

Wakonda and Pukwana 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% 13.4%Lowest SD: 31.9%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.5%±2.6Highest SD: 5% 0%±4.7Lowest SD: 5%

Wakonda and Pukwana 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 $63,750±$28kHighest 15% below SD

Pukwana 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±$15kHighest 58% below SD $100,000±$71kLowest 61% below SD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $807±$275Lowest 15% below SD $1,063±$126Highest 12% above SD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,680Highest 38% below SD $1,175Lowest 57% below SD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 73.3%±78.5Highest SD: 39.8% 52.2%±65.4Lowest SD: 39.8%

Wakonda and Pukwana 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% 2.3%Lowest SD: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82.8%Highest SD: 68.6% 81.9%Lowest SD: 68.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1944Lowest 36 yrs older than SD 1968Highest 12 yrs older than SD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 31% above SD 15 minLowest 16% below SD

Work from home 9.4%±7.3Highest SD: 9.7% 5.8%±6.6Lowest SD: 9.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.2%Highest 1.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 11.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Highest 0.13Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Vermillion (21%)Kimball (23%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 21.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 102Highest 33.9Lowest

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.

Pukwana neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pukwana’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Wakonda and Pukwana

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

Towns like Wakonda

+ Compare

Faith297 people · $151K homes

+ Compare

Tabor369 people · $144K homes

+ Compare

Buffalo278 people · $114K homes

+ Compare

Hudson382 people · $151K homes

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.

Wakonda vs Pukwana

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,090 more a month in Wakonda

What daily life feels like in each

117 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wakonda and Pukwana

Towns like Wakonda

Post to Wakonda

Check your email