Jobs and the daily commute in Gales Township
18% of workers work from home (South Dakota 10%). Hardly any work in Gales Township itself; outside it, White Lake draws the most (15%, 7 miles). A typical one-way commute lasts 64 minutes, next to 18 for South Dakota and 26 for the U.S.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Gales Township quiets down on a workday
On a workday 20 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 0 people come in from elsewhere.
About 30 people are in Gales Township on a workday afternoon, 40% fewer than live here.
0.00 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Out of Gales Township to work: where people go
Where Gales Township clocks in
Lines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Getting to work from Gales Township takes about 64 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 20.6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Gales Township workers work from home, vs 10% across South Dakota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 27 commuters (the 18% who work from home are left out). Across South Dakota: 85% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Close to home or a long way: work trips from Gales Township
About 30% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
How Gales Township compares with the towns next door
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Gales Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gales Township | – | — | — | 64 min | $80,500 |
| Washington Township | under 5% | — | — | — | — |
| White Lake Township | under 5% | — | — | 24 min | — |
| Wilbur Township | under 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Crystal Lake Township | under 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Torrey Lake Township | under 5% | — | — | — | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Washington Township, White Lake Township, Wilbur Township, Crystal Lake Township and Torrey Lake Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Gales Township’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Gales Township: questions
What is the median household income in Gales Township?
$80,500 (±$2,677) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $75,081 across South Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Gales Township?
5.3%, against 11.9% across South Dakota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Gales Township?
64 minutes each way on average, against 18 across South Dakota and 26 nationally. 18% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Gales Township work?
0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are White Lake (15%, 7 mi), Mitchell (15%, 35 mi), Plankinton (10%, 14 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Gales Township without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 0% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Gales Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of Gales Township
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.