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Compare towns

Willow Lake vs Timber Lake

177 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+85% in Willow Lake) and jobs per worker (2.6× in Timber Lake).

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Willow Lake, SDKnown for its schoolsSouth Dakota · 433 people
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Timber Lake, SDA regional job hubSouth Dakota · 779 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.

Willow LakeKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of SD districts All about Willow Lake →
Timber LakeA regional job hub
Work449 jobsbased in Timber Lake, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 92%of SD districts All about Timber Lake →
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.

Property tax bill+85%
Tax bills are bigger in Willow Lake
Willow Lake $2,212Timber Lake $1,198
Jobs per worker2.6×
Timber Lake is more of a job hub
Timber Lake 2.72Willow Lake 1.03
Work in town+16 pts
More of Timber Lake’s workers stay in town
Timber Lake 21.8%Willow Lake 5.8%
Average commute8 min
Willow Lake has the shorter commute
Timber Lake 30 minWillow Lake 23 min
Typical home built15 yrs
Willow Lake’s homes are older
Timber Lake 1964Willow Lake 1949
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Willow Lake

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.

Willow Lake$970/mo
Typical home $149K (Census) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $815/mo · Housing →
Timber Lake$530/mo
Typical home $81K (Census) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $546/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,300 a year, between Willow Lake and Timber Lake.

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
CWillow LakeBetter than 31% of districts in the state ATimber LakeBetter than 92% 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
Willow LakeTimber Lake
Snow a year48″41″
January low—7°F
July high—86°F
Growing season (days)—141d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th55th
Outdoors & history
Willow LakeTimber Lake
Settled—1911
National Register places11
Community
Willow LakeTimber Lake
Library hours a week—36 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

177 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Willow LakeSDTimber LakeSD
Willow Lake ↔ Timber Lake177 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.

Willow LakeTimber Lake
People
Population 433Lowest 779Highest
Median age 17.5±6.9Lowest 54% below SD 23.8±3Highest 37% below SD
Timber Lake and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 51%±30.2Highest SD: 24.2% 42.6%±4.4Lowest SD: 24.2%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 8.8%±4.7Highest SD: 18% 6.8%±2.9Lowest SD: 18%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.7%Lowest SD: 31.9% 22.9%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±2.1Highest SD: 5% 2.2%±1.8Lowest SD: 5%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $72,875±$19kHighest about the SD average $60,694±$8kLowest 19% below SD
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $149,000±$52kHighest 42% below SD $81,400±$24kLowest 68% below SD
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $815±$256Highest 14% below SD $546±$232Lowest 42% below SD
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,212Highest 19% below SD $1,198Lowest 56% below SD
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 4.8%±41.7Lowest SD: 39.8% 20.5%±17Highest SD: 39.8%
Timber Lake and Willow Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 1.2%Lowest SD: 11.9% 15.8%Highest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 62.2%Lowest SD: 68.6% 63.5%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1949Lowest 31 yrs older than SD 1964Highest 16 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 26% above SD 30 minHighest 71% above SD
Work from home 15.6%±18.7Highest SD: 9.7% 8.7%±8.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
Willow Lake and Timber Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.8%Lowest 21.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.8 miHighest 30.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.03Lowest 2.72Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Clark (17%)North Eagle Butte (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Timber LakeFew work in Willow Lake
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 64.2Lowest 85.8Highest
Schools
School district Willow Lake School District 12-3Timber Lake School District 20-3
High school in town Willow Lake High School - 01Timber Lake High School - 01
Students per teacherat that high school 11.1Lowest 12.9Highest
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.

Willow Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Willow Lake’s Town Square.

Timber Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Timber Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Willow Lake and Timber Lake

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Bordering Willow Lake

C
+ Compare
Collins Township203 people · $334K homes
L
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Lake Township51 people · $329K homes

Towns like Willow Lake

L
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Lawrence Township501 people · $259K homes
E
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Ethan346 people · $152K homes
L
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Long Hollow Township291 people · $193K homes
L
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Lake Norden889 people · $193K 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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