Best town in south dakota (Sioux Falls, Rapid City: rent, low crime, home)

[natepickle]

Hi,
My family and i are ready for a change we live in virginia about 2 hrs west of DC we have found the mountains still have the DELIVERANCE feel to them.

What is the best town there for a family with a 10yr and 6 yr old, they love to swim on swim teams. We thought Shenandoah valley here got snow but we havent seen any in 2 yrs. We want to see snow with bright sunny winter days, close to water not right on it but a short drive to it, a pet friendly place with outdoor activities

We would like to be within 2 hrs of museums like DC has, as town where kids are safe, a sense of community, great job growth, low crime.

I grew up all my life at the beach of NC and i miss friendly people, the kind that invite you to dinner to welcome you. where a hand shake means something. Almost a Mayberry feel with modern stores nearby.

Are there any towns like that there?

[ashnat]

Sioux Falls is your best bet. There is a small zoo there and prob some museums. If not, Omaha is 3 hours away and has lots of museums, childrens museum, huge terrific zoo. Minneapolis isn't too far from there either.
If you chose Rapid City, you'd have to drive all the way to Denver. Yes we have a couple small museums, but not great ones. Nothing like DC. For a zoo, you'd have to drive to Denver or consider Bear Country, Reptile Garden, and Old MacDonald Farm (touristy) as a zoo.
Rapid has great lakes, mountains, etc. We also have a nice indoor swim center you can utilize year round.

[Jammie]

Do you enjoy living in or near the mountains? If so, you'd enjoy western So. Dak. You could start with Rapid City and see how you feel about that. You can spread out from there to check out the other towns.

As Ashnat said, Sioux Falls would be a good choice. We're more on the plains so we have no mountains, but the Sioux River runs right through Sx. Falls.

Yankton would also be a place you could check out since the River runs through it. Chamberlain and Pierre are other options because of the river, but all three are smaller then Sx. Falls and Rapid City.

I've never been to D.C. or anywhere in that area, but my guess is we are far inferior with our museums and cultural activities here.

BUT since you're looking for the "Mayberry" feel and a place where MOST people are honest, you've come to the right state.

[DannyBanany]

I can't think of ANY South Dakota town that could even remotely compare to the museums and culture of DC. Sioux Falls and Rapid City would be your best bet because they are the largest cities, but it would be worlds different than DC and anything on the East Coast.

If you want bright sunny winter days and a close drive to water then Rapid City may suit you. If you want to be closer to large cities and better shopping then Sioux Falls will suit you. You'll get a "Mayberry feeling" in South Dakota but don't expect great stores and culture to come along with it. One place that comes to mind is Naperville, IL. That always seems like a nice community and it's a 30 minute drive to Chicago.

[DeadwoodJ]

natepickle: I would trade you my place here in South Dakota for your place in VA....I used to live there when I was younger and I LOVE IT there!!!!

[nanjosbrand]

I agree with the rest of the crowd that Sioux Falls would be your best bet. You mentioned that you want to live close to water. Well, Sioux Falls (the east side) is only 8 miles from the Minnesota border and that's the land of 10,000+ lakes. Lake Okoboji (in Iowa) is well-known for wonderful boating and swimming and that's only an hour and a hlaf from Sioux Falls. The Missouri River is wonderful for outdoor recreation as well.
Sioux Falls is very pet friendly as it has two dog parks and a wonderderful bike trail system that allows pets.
Museums...there are a few, but like the other said, since Omaha and Minneapolis aren't that far away, there are better ones there.
We get snow every winter and the sun shines quite a bit. I find it weird that I wear my sunglasses more often in the winter than I do in the summer!!
Also, I know you mentioned a Mayberry type town--you might want to look at some of the smaller towns close to Sioux Falls for that. I would recommend Brandon as I feel Brandon offers a lot of friendly folks. I wish you the best in your decision!!

[Chris19]

Sioux Falls is your best bet, going along with other with the forum. There are some nice communities that are within close proximity to Sioux Falls that are within a short commute and are also great places to live. Brandon is one that is a short drive from Sioux Falls and has several parks and is a very nice community (it is about 8,000 people). Tea, Harrisburg, and Harftord are also other communties that are within 10 miles and worth considering. Tea and Brandon are less cookie-cutter like and have more diverse housing options than Harrisburg.

There are two lakes within 50 miles of Sioux Falls near Madison and west along I-90. Check out the Game Fish and Parks info at www.sd.gov/ and the agency lists outdoors areas in the state. Madison has Lake Madison and Lake Herman. Lake Madison is a good lake to boat, swim, etc. Also, check out Lewis and Clark Lake and that is near Yankton and is about an hour southwest fo Sioux Falls. Lewis and Clark Lake is a dammed up lake of the Missouri River and is a fun place to boat, swim, and camp.

If you like history, escpecially frontier or small town history, there are quite a few historical museums sprinkled here and there with the smaller towns. Also, Mitchell has an archeological museum that may be of interest.

[belami28]

I should probably stay out of this discussion, being I haven't lived in the Norde, over six months, since 1963. I left Andrews AFB, and after a stay with mom & dad, headed back to California. I never want to see my car rust, or spend an hour thawing out my hands again. However, Dell Rapids might be S Dakotas best kept secret. Close enough to Sioux Falls to commute, river & great park to the south. I used ride my bike up (pedal)from Sioux Falls, just to hang out. They might even say pop instead of soda there.

[MJ1986]

Originally Posted by belami28

I should probably stay out of this discussion, being I haven't lived in the Norde, over six months, since 1963. I left Andrews AFB, and after a stay with mom & dad, headed back to California. I never want to see my car rust, or spend an hour thawing out my hands again. However, Dell Rapids might be S Dakotas best kept secret. Close enough to Sioux Falls to commute, river & great park to the south. I used ride my bike up (pedal)from Sioux Falls, just to hang out. They might even say pop instead of soda there.

Lol, I think most of SD says "pop"... but I say soda sometimes too.
Dell Rapids is a nice community.

[SDTraveler]

Take a look at a unique SD website that will show you an actual picture of the downtown area of over 236 towns in SD (www.travelinfomap.com) I lived outside of DC many years ago. The cultural life style that exists there is really not in South Dakota yet. The town closest to that would probably be Sioux Falls. All the towns everyone mentioned are not that far from Sioux Falls, from border to border it is no more than a six hour drive (weather permitting). Our climate from December to April is quite a bit colder than DC - January and February can have days on end of subzero weather. Some pluses for SD is there is NO STATE INCOME TAX and the job opportunities in the Medical field and High Tech fields are still plentiful. Housing compared to the East Coast is low, you can still get a large home for less than $200,000 and the average rent is around $600 to $750 a month. South Dakota is a great place to raise kids - I raised four here and they are solid Midwesterns, smile