Sioux Falls, Peirre or Hot Springs (Rapid City, Pierre: fit in, sales, house)

[yamahastar]

What I am asking must have been answered numerous times in the past, but I wanted to renew your views. I am looking at state jobs in all three of these cities. I love the Black Hills, but am completely open to suggestions. I would come up first, and after the house sales my wife will join me. Do not care about huge social life. I like to play the guitar and banjo. Is one area really better than another, or is it just a matter of personal preference? Would the climate be much different between the three cities?

[uncleharley]

The climate in Hot Springs would be drier and the winters are milder in Hot Springs than in Souix Fallls or Pierre. If you live in Hot Springs and feel a need for snow, you can drive 10 minutes north to Custer in the Winter, enjoy the snow and then go home. Snow and ice know their place in that part of the world.
The populations in Pierre and Souix Falls are larger than Hot Springs. Consequently the available services provide larger choices. By services I mean shopping, health care, etc. You can buy everything a person usually needs in Hot Springs, but most people drive to Rapid for weekly shopping. The closest hospital to Hot Springs is also in Rapid. Hot Springs does have a very good clinic, but no hospital.
Property taxes seem to be a little less in Hot Springs than in Souix Falls. I don't know about taxes Pierre. If you are going to build a house, you will probably find a wider selection of contractors in Pierre or Souix Falls than in Hot Springs.
Banjo pickers would fit in just fine in Hot Springs.

uh

[Jammie]

This is just my personal preference

1. Hot Springs

2. Sioux Falls

3. Pierre

I just really think the Black Hills area is beautiful. Their winter temps are generally much warmer then they are in Sx. Falls. For some reason or other, Pierre can be quite a hot spot in the summertime.

As UH was talking about~Sx. Falls would really be your best bet if you need to be close to a huge medical care facility or if you really enjoy shopping. But you really do have good choices there and any one of the three towns would have certain advantages over the others.

As far as taxes, you'll be paying in the area of $20 per thousand no matter which county you live in. But keep in mind the 30% deduction and like Fla., we have no state income tax. Also, I don't believe we have any toll booths in the entire state. I know that Fla. has a lot of them.

[yamahastar]

There should be a law that families can only accumulate so much junk, and then the junk police fine you. I guess that would be a good platform for running for office. The only problem would be I would only get male votes.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by yamahastar

There should be a law that families can only accumulate so much junk, and then the junk police fine you. I guess that would be a good platform for running for office. The only problem would be I would only get male votes.

Oh no~you'd get this female's vote. DH is the packrat in the family. I don't like clutter. It's hard to clean around and dust. But then again, I don't fit the norm. This chic doesn't even like to go shopping.

[DannyBanany]

Hot Springs is probably my favorite and the most beautiful town on that list. It's in the foothills, pine trees are abundant, has a warm climate and the Southern Hills don't get too much snow. Everything you'd need is there. You're about 50 minutes to Rapid City if you want to do some major shopping or whatnot. Plus you're about 3 1/2 hours to the Front Range cities in Colorado and 4 to Denver.

Sioux Falls is next only because it's so much larger than the others and it's closer to larger cities like MSP, Omaha, and KC. Everything you'd need and most of what you'd want is there. It's just not as scenic as the others.

Pierre is pretty too but I personally don't find any appeal there. The Missouri River's nice but the Black Hills has way more recreation and Sioux Falls has plenty more to do. I'd just be bored in Pierre.

[MJ1986]

I pretty much agree with the other posts... I'm biased towards SF, but I would love to live out in the Hills...
You said "state jobs"...do you mean working for the state?
And there isn't a better area... It is on personal preference...
I would recommend visiting each area...but with you being in North Florida...might be spendy

[Chris19]

Personally, I would pick Sioux Falls, then Hot Springs, and then Pierre. Sioux Falls has two excellent hospital systems and has a growing array of stores to shop at and there are some major retail areas in the works. There are a ton of restaurants. The city is clean. There are many small towns nearby to live in, allowing quieter and affordable living while being close to the ammenities of Sioux Falls. Hot Springs is not terribly far from Rapid City and is close to recreation in the Black Hills. It is a very pretty town and in a part of the Black Hills that is not overly commercialized. Pierre is good if you like to hunt or fish or do not mind being in an island in the middle of a sea of open prairie. The city has an excellent park system for a city of its size and the city is fairly clean. Zesto is a great place for ice cream in the summer.

The cons of each. Sioux Falls's housing is affordable by national standards but is a bit higher priced by South Dakota standards and the drivers drive a little slow and lack the understanding of steady traffic flow in my opinion. Hot Springs is a little ways from Rapid City and is one of the drier areas of the state (if you are into gardening). Pierre is a good two and half to three hours away from shopping and medical care that is more extensive. Pierre is a town that one would either love or hate it. I have lived in two of the three areas: Sioux Falls and Pierre. I also visited Hot Springs several times. Sioux Falls is more exciting for me and has more opportunity than Pierre. I did not care for the location of Pierre and having to drive three hours to have more ammenities. There were many nice people there but can be a very clicky place (and is sometimes hard for a newcomer to assimilate). With Sioux Falls, one can drive the comparable distance and have Omaha and Twin Cities (which are cities that offer quite a bit) and one can assimilate more easily with a greater diversity of people and personalities.

It is good to research each of the areas. If you plan to visit each or a couple of these communities, visit with the locals and try to undertstand the feel of the cities. Many of the locals are helpful and may offer valuable insight, which will help put perspective to a place. There are nice people in each of the locations and each communities have their strengths.