57201 and 57006 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
57201
57006
Opportunity
66 · Top 28%
vs70 · Top 20%
Growth
80 · Top 4%
vs67 · Top 20%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs69 · Top 37%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 18%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
50 · Bottom 48%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Access
36 · Bottom 1%
vs65 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs58 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 57201 | 57006 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,781 | 24,192 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,878 | $66,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,752 | $36,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 84/sq mi | 159/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $242,700 | $273,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $941 | $887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.5% | 51.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.8% | 46.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 274 | 173 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.9 | 7.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 101.5% | -32.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 3°F | 4°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.7" | 25.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 95 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 14.7 min | 14.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.6 | 28.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.11 | 15.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.4% | 47.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.6% | 48.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 35.3% | 20.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
57201
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding.
57006
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: 57201 — Watertown, SD · 57006 — Brookings, SD · How this is calculated: methodology