Possible Move - Looking at Chamberlain and Nearby (Sioux Falls, Rapid City: sale, apartment complex)

[sdboundmaybe]

I’ve been offered a position working on the Crow Creek Reservation. I’ve never been to SD before or a reservation besides visiting a tourist area in NM and have no idea what I’m in for. The position pays relatively well compared to my opportunities in OH and with no state income tax and lower cost of living I’d be making a bit more. The idea is I would start my career here and do this for a couple years and move to Sioux Falls, Rapid City, or back home.

So far, I’ve been looking at Chamberlain, Oacoma, and some of the nearby areas for living arrangements (~30 min. to work). It does not seem too easy finding any rentals online and I’m not sure I’d want to take the plunge and purchase a house right away. I also have a dog I want to bring and there is a lack of pet-friendly options, I have also looked at Pierre which is an hour commute from where I’d work, which seems to be a better option for living and things to do, but the drive time discourages me.

I have a few questions before I make a final decision whether to accept and move my family out to SD.
- Is Chamberlain a good area for a young family? We have a 3-year-old who will still be in daycare.
- What is traffic like at rush hour in these areas? Right now, I dread my current drive to and from work everyday mostly due to the other drivers. I’d probably rather drive 60 minutes every day without traffic than 30 minutes in heavy traffic.
- I’m Jewish but not observant at all. I’m guessing there’s not too much of a Jewish community in rural southeastern SD? If anything, just for the social aspect we’d like to meet some people to do dinners with, arrange playdates, etc.
- Are there any crime or safety concerns in the areas I’ve mentioned? Some sites I viewed claimed Chamberlain is one of the most dangerous cities in SD?
- Are there any resources for finding rental houses? I’m a bit old for apartment complex living and prefer the privacy and space of a house compared to hearing neighbor’s conversations through a wall.
- In general, how is the culture compared to the Midwestern US, lower great lakes areas? I am definitely not liberal-leaning but I have concerns I might find myself uncomfortable in a red state having grown up and lived mostly in blue or purple areas.

[jmgg]

- Is Chamberlain a good area for a young family? We have a 3-year-old who will still be in daycare.
If you're a hunter or especially, a fisherman, Chamberlain is the cat's meow. If not, this town will
bore you to tears. Raise a family there? Not for me, but there are much worse places.


- What is traffic like at rush hour in these areas? Right now, I dread my current drive to and from work everyday mostly due to the other drivers. I’d probably rather drive 60 minutes every day without traffic than 30 minutes in heavy traffic.
No such thing as rush hour. The biggest traffic delay you'll experience is if you get behind a tractor
pulling farm equipment. You can go anywhere at the speed limit or above.


- I’m Jewish but not observant at all. I’m guessing there’s not too much of a Jewish community in rural southeastern SD? If anything, just for the social aspect we’d like to meet some people to do dinners with, arrange playdates, etc.
I've lived in South Dakota for over 60 years and personally don't know a Jewish person. Maybe I do
but don't know it. That's the key. Around here people don't care that much about what you are.
You can quickly get in trouble if you get pushy with others about your beliefs. Most the time it is
live and let live.

- Are there any crime or safety concerns in the areas I’ve mentioned? Some sites I viewed claimed Chamberlain is one of the most dangerous cities in SD?
I know Chamberlain has some drug issues. Most smaller rural communities seem to these days. A
far cry from years ago when anyone involved in drugs was made fun of and looked down on in
rural areas.
Where you're going to run into more crime/safety concerns will be more on the reservations. Prairie
reservations are very desolate and can have lots of crime. Widespread alcoholism, drug use, and
poverty make for dangerous combinations.


- Are there any resources for finding rental houses? I’m a bit old for apartment complex living and prefer the privacy and space of a house compared to hearing neighbor’s conversations through a wall.
Finding rental houses in the Chamberlain/Oacoma area is probably going to be difficult because of
all the fishermen who move out there. I know several who've even retired there since they have
no other life. I would sure think they'd get tired of it after a while, but there are a lot of people
like that. Your best bet by far for rentals would be Pierre.


- In general, how is the culture compared to the Midwestern US, lower great lakes areas? I am definitely not liberal-leaning but I have concerns I might find myself uncomfortable in a red state having grown up and lived mostly in blue or purple areas
If you have strong liberal leanings you may find you and your wife doing a lot of activities without
any other people after a while. If you keep your leanings to yourself most the time, most people
could care less how you feel and you'll get along fine.
You'll find that on the reservation, the native population is mostly Democrat. They're in grinding
poverty and feel that any votes to push them towards self-reliance would hurt their safety net of
government help. In some instances I'm sure they have a point. One way or another, what's
going on now and for the last 100 years sure as heck ain't working.


If you're not against a 60 minute commute, Pierre would be a better choice. Keep in mind that
the winters in South Dakota, especially in the wide open sparsely populated reservation land,
can be brutal AND deadly. If you get stuck on a road during a blizzard there it may be a couple
days before you're rescued. Full tank of gas (always), extra blankets, coats, food, shovels, and
other survival gear are a necessity. I'm not saying this to scare you. It's good advice for even
around the Sioux Falls area as you may be stuck for a night and half the next day here too.

[601halfdozen0theother]

You should call local realtors, because they are the ones who will either have or know about local rentals. That's actually the best way of finding any kind of housing in South Dakota. Just type the search term "Realtors near Chamberlain, South Dakota" (or the name of another town near where you will be working) into Google. Once you find the names of local realtor businesses you should access their websites, e-mail them, or call them. If they don't list rentals themselves they can recommend other businesses that do have rentals. Word-of-mouth is always the way to go for information in South Dakota! Here's the phone #s of two realtors in the Chamberlain area: Petrack 605-234-1904 and Mills 605-234-1904.

You can also find rentals using the "South Dakota" site on Craigslist, and enter the search term Chamberlain, or the name of some other towns closer to where you will be working. There is also a "Central South Dakota" sub site on Craigslist.

Of course, you should start by asking people at the organization or business with whom you'll be working for advice about how to find housing in the area.

I personally would not commute an hour, or even half an hour, in the winter in central South Dakota for all the money in the world.

[HollyhockGarden]

Hello Sdboundmaybe -- Welcome to City-Data!

Happened to see your post and it intrigued me a bit. You mentioned you are a new graduate and are starting in your first position and are thinking about taking a job on the Crow Creek Reservation in SD. What type of a position is this? A medical job at a BIA Hospital? A teacher? An Optometrist? Just curious. You mentioned that you have a spouse and a 3 yr old child who will need to be in daycare. You said day care, not pre-school, so I am assuming there is a reason for that choice. What about the other adult [spouse?]. Will that person be telecommuting? Or will you need to be in a location where your spouse will need to find employment also? This needs to be a family decision.

You mentioned you are not familiar with South Dakota; you did not mention whether your spouse is, or not. These days, you can learn a lot on a computer. I have been to Chamberlain. Here is a link of a trip someone recorded of the 1-90 drive across South Dakota -- it will help you get a grasp on the wide-open country you will experience up there.

NOTE: This video starts at the famous Wall Drug in South Dakota [yes -- it is very famous!!!]. You will find lots and lots of cars parked there -- but watch the video as you drive out of town and get back on the Interstate. You will soon get out into open country again. I would suggest you watch the entire video; it helps you understand the wide-open countryside. It is vast.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FColqfK5g40

Poster #3 gave some great advice - talk to the HR person and ask them about the rental housing options available. They may be able to give you some great suggestions. Check out the healthcare options available for your family. Childcare/pre-school options, pediatrician, etc.

I do not know enough about your personal situation, but I do know you mentioned you have a spouse and family, and this is a MAJOR relocation. It could work out well for you -- a lot will depend on your outside hobbies and interests, and your family situation. Good luck!

[sdboundmaybe]

Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother

You should call local realtors, because they are the ones who will either have or know about local rentals. That's actually the best way of finding any kind of housing in South Dakota. Just type the search term "Realtors near Chamberlain, South Dakota" (or the name of another town near where you will be working) into Google. Once you find the names of local realtor businesses you should access their websites, e-mail them, or call them. If they don't list rentals themselves they can recommend other businesses that do have rentals. Word-of-mouth is always the way to go for information in South Dakota! Here's the phone #s of two realtors in the Chamberlain area: Petrack 605-234-1904 and Mills 605-234-1904.

You can also find rentals using the "South Dakota" site on Craigslist, and enter the search term Chamberlain, or the name of some other towns closer to where you will be working. There is also a "Central South Dakota" sub site on Craigslist.

Of course, you should start by asking people at the organization or business with whom you'll be working for advice about how to find housing in the area.

I personally would not commute an hour, or even half an hour, in the winter in central South Dakota for all the money in the world.

Thanks, I will be contacting realtors this week. I did check Craigslist but "Chamberlain" didn't seem to generate any results at least when I tried.

The person I am in contact with suggested Chamberlain, Pierre, Reliance, Highmore, and Pukwana. I'm between Chamberlain and Pierre at this time.

I do not look forward to the commute but so far it doesn't look as if there's any options less than 30 minutes from the reservation.

[601halfdozen0theother]

Hopefully you can find a co-worker who lives in the same community you choose and with whom you can carpool.

Even though I wouldn't do it myself, plenty of people DO commute long distances in SD.

[Chops00]

I'm gonna go on a bit of a rant here but I think I'm gonna finally call BS on the myth that South Dakotans have a "live and let live mentality" I've lived here 5 years now and heard that from dozens of residents. Here's the truth, "live and let live" only applies if your a white christian conservative. If you read between the lines you can see that in this thread.

If you're a minority, an atheist, LGBTQ, hell even a democrat, you will be ridiculed and made to feel "less than". Our legislature is so busy trying worrying about what bathrooms people are using that they are ignoring pressing issues such as the dismal state of our schools, lack of decent jobs, and the rampant corruption in Pierre. Kristi Noem will likely be our next governor. She's made a career out of lying to the people of South Dakota about the evils of the Federal government and they've swallowed it hook line and sinker.

I'm sure someone will jump in and call me a snowflake now, and that's fine, I couldn't care less and it will prove my point. I want to love SoDak, believe me. In many ways its my favorite place I've lived, and I've lived all over the country. But sadly, I feel like there's only so much more I can take.

[601halfdozen0theother]

Move to Vermillion/Yankton, Chops, you'll be much more comfortable in this area! See if you can transfer to our region and help expand our lovely oasis of sanity!

Having lived in extremely regressive areas of America in the past, I join you in saying that it can be actually physically painful to live among people with the opposite outlook on life. Just keeping one's mouth closed about what one sincerely believes is not a good way to live. It can be an educational adventure for a while, but wears thin in the long term.(Of course, we have to acknowledge that this applies to regressives living among mostly progressive people, too.)

I do think that OP and his family would enjoy an adventure of at least a few years of living and working in the Crow Creek reservation and Central SD area.

[uncleharley]

I'm white, but not a practicing christian and I am certainly not conservative by todays standards. I get along fine with my neighbors and the people I meet in S D.

uh

[dpf]

My suggestion is to place a wanted listing in the Chamberlain newspaper. State what your occupation is and the number in your family. Many people in small towns don't advertise rental houses through realtors and openings go through word of mouth. Landlords are leery because of so many renters trashing property. Another option would be joining the Chamberlain Buy and Sell/Garage Sale on Facebook and post your needs. (You will probably be able to get information about preschools/daycare providers also) Have references both professional and personal. If you are presently renting recommendations from your present and past landlords would be extremely helpful. Housing in small towns can be scarce.