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Ward vs Tolstoy

171 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (4.8× in Tolstoy) and jobs per worker (2.6× in Tolstoy).

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Ward, SDA small town of 52South Dakota · 52 people
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Tolstoy, SDA small town of 57South Dakota · 57 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.

WardA small town of 52
Quiet strengthsWard doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ward →
TolstoyA small town of 57
Quiet strengthsTolstoy doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Tolstoy →
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.

Street grid4.8×
Tolstoy has the more walkable street grid
Tolstoy 100Ward 20.8
Jobs per worker2.6×
Tolstoy is more of a job hub
Tolstoy 3.27Ward 1.25
Work in town+18.2 pts
More of Tolstoy’s workers stay in town
Tolstoy 18.2%Ward 0%
Bachelor’s degree++13.7 pts
More adults in Ward have a degree
Ward 41.5%Tolstoy 27.8%
Typical home built17 yrs
Ward’s homes are older
Tolstoy 1955Ward 1938
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
WardTolstoy
Snow a year40″35″
January low4°F—
July high81°F—
Growing season (days)148d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th55th
Outdoors & history
WardTolstoy
Settled—1907
Community
WardTolstoy
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

171 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WardSDTolstoySD
Ward ↔ Tolstoy171 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.

WardTolstoy
People
Population 52Lowest 57Highest
Median age 31.7±29.9Lowest 17% below SD 32.9±35.6Highest 13% below SD
Tolstoy and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.3%±40.9Lowest SD: 24.2% 36.8%±44.7Highest SD: 24.2%
Tolstoy and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 3.8%±64Lowest SD: 18% 22.8%±47Highest SD: 18%
Tolstoy and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.5%Highest SD: 31.9% 27.8%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±27.2 SD: 5% 0%±24.8 SD: 5%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $76,875±$39kHighest about the SD average $76,071±$42kLowest about the SD average
Ward and Tolstoy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $151,300±$70k 41% below SD —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 0%±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line 0% SD: 11.9% 0% SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 88.5%Highest SD: 68.6% 83.3%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than SD 1955Highest 25 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 min 20% above SD —
Work from home 0%±24.4Lowest SD: 9.7% 7.7%±9.5Highest SD: 9.7%
Tolstoy and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 18.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.8 miHighest 21.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.25Lowest 3.27Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sioux Falls (31%)Gettysburg (55%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TolstoyFew work in Ward
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 20.8Lowest 100Highest
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.

Ward neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ward’s Town Square.

Tolstoy neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tolstoy’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ward and Tolstoy

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Towns like Ward

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Jefferson Township119 people
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Milford Township60 people · $413K 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.

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