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Compare towns

Waubay vs Philip

232 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+86% in Philip) and work in town (+38.3 pts in Philip).

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Waubay, SDA small town of 337South Dakota · 337 people
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Philip, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 571 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.

WaubayA small town of 337
Quiet strengthsWaubay doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Waubay →
PhilipA regional job hub
Work560 jobsbased in Philip, a regional job hub HistorySettled in 19072 places on the National Register All about Philip →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill+86%
Tax bills are bigger in Philip
Philip $2,795Waubay $1,500
Work in town+38.3 pts
More of Philip’s workers stay in town
Philip 47.5%Waubay 9.2%
Street grid2.9×
Philip has the more walkable street grid
Philip 127Waubay 44.3
Growth since 2010+15.3 pts
Philip has grown faster since 2010
Philip -2.6%Waubay -17.9%
Seasonal homes+28 pts
Waubay has more second homes
Waubay 30.6%Philip 2.6%
Jobs per worker2.1×
Philip is more of a job hub
Philip 2.15Waubay 1.02
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $460 more a month in Waubay

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.

Waubay$1,640/mo
Typical home $271K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $603/mo · Housing →
Philip$1,190/mo
Typical home $182K (Census) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $642/mo · Housing →

The difference: $460 a month, about $5,500 a year, between Waubay and Philip.

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.

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.

Schools
C+WaubayBetter than 42% of districts in the state C+PhilipBetter than 42% of districts in the state
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
WaubayPhilip
Snow a year36″38″
January low4°F8°F
July high82°F88°F
Growing season (days)164d132d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)41st91st
Outdoors & history
WaubayPhilip
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land1%—
Settled—1907
National Register places—2
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—2
Community
WaubayPhilip
Library hours a week33 hrs29 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

232 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WaubaySDPhilipSD
Waubay ↔ Philip232 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.

WaubayPhilip
People
Population 337Lowest 571Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -17.9%Lowest SD: +8.9% -2.6%Highest SD: +8.9%
Median age 53.3±10.2Highest 40% above SD 52.4±12.5Lowest 38% above SD
Waubay and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.1%±16.6Highest SD: 24.2% 15.2%±6.2Lowest SD: 24.2%
Waubay and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 40.1%±9.2Highest SD: 18% 27.7%±10.7Lowest SD: 18%
Waubay and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.8%Highest SD: 31.9% 15.9%Lowest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±3.6Highest SD: 5% 1.1%±2.1Lowest SD: 5%
Waubay and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $36,389±$19kLowest 52% below SD $56,635±$25kHighest 25% below SD
Philip and Waubay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $152,800±$85kLowest 41% below SD $182,100±$67kHighest 29% below SD
Philip and Waubay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $603±$61Lowest 36% below SD $642±$90Highest 32% below SD
Philip and Waubay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,500Lowest 45% below SD $2,795Highest about the SD average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.7%±46.7Lowest SD: 39.8% 33.3%±39.6Highest SD: 39.8%
Philip and Waubay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 24.3%Highest SD: 11.9% 15.6%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.5%Lowest SD: 68.6% 70.8%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 9 yrs older than SD 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minHighest 26% below SD 5 minLowest 71% below SD
Work from home 10%±12.3Highest SD: 9.7% 0%±3.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
Waubay and Philip are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 9.2%Lowest 47.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.02Lowest 2.15Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Webster (15%)Rapid City (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PhilipFew work in Waubay
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 44.3Lowest 127Highest
Schools
School district Waubay School District 18-3Haakon School District 27-1
High school in town Waubay High School - 01Philip High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 10.7Lowest 13.6Highest
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.

Waubay neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waubay’s Town Square.

Philip neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Philip’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Waubay and Philip

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Bordering Waubay

W
+ Compare
Waubay Township653 people · $146K homes
C
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Central Point Township85 people · $528K homes

Towns like Waubay

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Kadoka372 people
K
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Kimball457 people · $153K homes
L
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Lake Preston596 people · $130K homes
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Presho313 people · $163K 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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