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Waverly Township vs Aurora Township

50 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+82% in Aurora Township) and average commute (8 min in Aurora Township).

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Waverly Township, SDKnown for its schoolsCodington County · 250 people
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Aurora Township, SDA small town of 134Brookings County · 134 people
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.

Aurora TownshipA small town of 134
Quiet strengthsAurora Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Aurora Township →
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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Waverly Township$1,820/mo
Typical home $314K (Census) · tax rate 0.66% · Housing →
Aurora Township$1,810/mo
Typical home $285K (Census) · tax rate 1.32% · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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
Waverly TownshipAurora Township
Snow a year41″36″
January low3°F4°F
July high82°F81°F
Growing season (days)145d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th40th
Outdoors & history
Waverly TownshipAurora Township
Trails—4 mi
Conserved land—0.9%
Archive photos—4
Community
Waverly TownshipAurora Township
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

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Waverly Township ↔ Aurora Township50 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.

Waverly TownshipAurora Township
People
Population 250Highest 134Lowest
Median age 40.3±28.5Lowest 6% above SD 41±16.1Highest 8% above SD
Aurora Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 37.2%±8.9Highest SD: 24.2% 23.9%±22.2Lowest SD: 24.2%
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18%±8.5Lowest SD: 18% 27.6%±21.5Highest SD: 18%
Aurora Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.9%Lowest SD: 31.9% 48.9%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.4%±4.2Highest SD: 5% 3%±8.9Lowest SD: 5%
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $89,583±$44kHighest 19% above SD $68,646±$19kLowest 9% below SD
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $314,300±$227kHighest 22% above SD $285,400±$115kLowest 11% above SD
Waverly Township and Aurora Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,075Lowest 24% below SD $3,773Highest 39% above SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 0%±100 SD: 39.8%
Below poverty line 0.8%Highest SD: 11.9% 0%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 82.9%Highest SD: 68.6% 81.1%Lowest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1987Highest 7 yrs newer than SD 1977Lowest 3 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 22% above SD 14 minLowest 24% below SD
Work from home 18.5%±15.2Lowest SD: 9.7% 22.1%±15Highest SD: 9.7%
Aurora Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miHighest 5.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.50Lowest 0.52Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Watertown (63%)Brookings (54%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Aurora TownshipFew work in Waverly Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.6%Highest 0.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 3.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.2Highest 0.9Lowest
Schools
School district Waverly School District 14-5—
High school in town Waverly-South Shore High School - 01—
Students per teacherat that high school 12.3 —
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.

Waverly Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waverly Township’s Town Square.

Aurora Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Aurora Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Waverly Township and Aurora Township

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Bordering Waverly Township

Towns like Waverly Township

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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