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Hello everyone, this site has been very helpful to me and my wife. I am currently living in northern MN and recently got a job offer that I can hardly resist and it's in SD. The trouble is I can live in Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, or the Gettysburg areas. Pay would be the same. I am a huge hunter/fisherman and hear that Gettysburg is a nice town for that. My question is, does anyone have any input on these three areas and what they have to offer for my wife and I? Any info would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much in advance!!!
Obviously, Sioux Falls would be the largest of the three choices. At 150,000 people, Sioux Falls would give you all the amentities you'd need plus many of the things you'd want. It is also closer to large cities (MSP, Omaha, KC) than the other two choices. Aberdeen has about 25,000 people but I personally think it would be your last choice. There not nearly as much to do in Aberdeen as there is in Sioux Falls and Aberdeen doesn't offer the same hunting and fishing as Gettysburg would. Gettysburg is very small and it would be a drive for you to get to shopping, hospitals, etc. But Gettysburg is the best choice if you are a hunting enthusiast and you like fishing.
Remember, Sioux Falls is only an hour from Mitchell which has a Cabela's and offers some great hunting too. Really you can live anywhere in South Dakota and not be far from hunting and fishing.
Personally, I'd chose Sx. Falls, but I'm not a hunter or fisherman either. Gettysburg may be the best in that respect, but like Danny said~it's kind of remote and isn't really a self contained community.
Will your wife be looking for employment? If so, go with Sx. Falls. There are still areas nearby for recreation. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Thanks for the help you guys! Sioux Falls is looking more and more like the best option all the time. Especially for my wife to get a decent job and feel comfortable. The Gettysburg area is probably a long shot for both of us to have a good job huh? What about the city of Pierre? Can anyone tell me what this city has to offer? Well I look forward to South Dakota anyways, should be a good, new experience. Thanks again!
I'm sure you're familiar with Sx. Falls, but this site may help you out a bit. You can navigate it and go back to "South Dakota" and you can find all the towns.
Pierre is ok and it'd be a good spot for your hobbies, but in reality there isn't much employment in that area. It's just kinda out there by itself.
I would choose Sioux Falls, then Aberdeen, and then Gettysburg. Sioux Falls has plenty of job opportunities, shopping, good medical care, and is in a crossroads location. It has a good airport by South Dakota and rural standards and is 180 miles from Omaha, which has an even better airport with cheaper airfares. The city is growing quite a bit. Even with the slump in the national economy, the city is still growing, although building permits for new houses are down (less speculative building and people are a little more conservative in buying homes and moving around). There will be new commercial areas that will come up, even more so when then the national economy is back on the upswing.
Aberdeen would not be a bad choice. It is certainly smaller than Sioux Falls, but is a nice smaller city with a decent hospital and medical community and has the basic conveniences. The city, although it has been declining in numbers in the past few decades is doing well with new construction and several large employers moving to town.
Gettysburg would be fine if you are comfortable with going at least an hour or so to the nearest small city to find items or to see specialists you cannot find in Gettysburg. It is a good area for those who love outdoors activities and are not bothered by isoloation and having a simpler life.
I forgot to mention that there are a number of small towns within a 30 mile radius of Sioux Falls that are worthy of consideration. Many of these towns are clean, safe, and affordable. They also offer a quieter and more relaxed alternative to Sioux Falls proper. They may fit the outdoorsy person better than Sioux Falls proper. A big benefit is small town life with a reasonable commute to the career opprtunties, shopping, medical services, and decent transportation access of a larger community nearby.
Last edited by Jammie; 08-28-2008 at 06:43 PM..
Reason: merged
I think if you're a fishing and hunting enthusiast, you would like Gettysburg the best. Since it's closer to the Missouri River, you're going to have a lot more luck with the hunting/fishing gig. People in Sioux Falls are really only able to go hunting if they know someone who has land so they can hunt. Otherwise, people from Sioux Falls always seem to go close to the river anyway to go hunt.
I have met people from Gettysburg, and they have always seemed like good, wholesome people. I haven't been to Pierre in about 20 years, but my husband has a big job coming up in about a month that will last about three weeks, so I might go up and check it out then.
Good luck in your decision!!
I live in Sioux Falls, grew up near Aberdeen, and have been through Gettysburg a couple of times. Gettysburg has about 1,350 people. Employment in Gettysburg would probably be hard to come by. Employment in Pierre would be the same way, unless it's a job through the state. Pierre and Gettysburg are also pretty isolated, but would be great for hunting and fishing. Fishing is good along the Missouri River... The Aberdeen area is also a popular hunting region. Growing up, I hit enough wildlife when traveling. Aberdeen has about 25,000 people. Employment shouldn't be too hard to find, depending on your field of expertise. Sioux Falls has about 150,000 people, so it's quite a difference between Gettysburg and Aberdeen. Sioux Falls is also a progressive city, and it's growing on all sides. Healthcare and education are very good, for a city of its size. Crime is also low. Like Chris said, Omaha and Minneapolis are just a quick jaunt from SF.
Sioux Falls has a Scheels and Sportmans Warehouse, which are both great places to look for hunting gear and items along with Cabelas in Mitchell (one hour away).
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Gettysburg may be the best in that respect, but like Danny said~it's kind of remote and isn't really a self contained community. 
