Merton Township has fewer jobs than working residents: 0.5 for each
Employers in Merton Township report 7 jobs for 14 working residents. Hardly any work in Merton Township; the top destination outside it is Watertown (36%, 26 miles). Working from home is the commute for 11% of workers; South Dakota has 10%.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Who works in Merton Township, and who works elsewhere
On a workday 14 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 7 people come in from elsewhere.
About 33 people are in Merton Township on a workday afternoon, 18% fewer than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Where Merton Township goes to work
Where Merton Township clocks in
36% of workers
14% of workersLines 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.
Making and building: 43% of jobs based in Merton Township
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Merton Township, 2013 → 2023: 4 → 7. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Merton Township’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Working from home in Merton Township
of Merton Township workers work from home, vs 10% across South Dakota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 24 commuters (the 11% 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.
How far Merton Township’s workers travel
About 21% 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.
Bordering towns draw 21% of Merton Township’s workers
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Merton Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merton Township | – | — | — | — | $83,500 |
| Foxton Township | under 8% | — | — | 20 min | — |
| Day Township | 21% | — | — | — | — |
| Lake Township | under 8% | — | — | — | — |
| Darlington Township | under 8% | — | — | — | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Foxton Township, Day Township, Lake Township and Darlington Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Day Township. Darker towns draw more of Merton 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 Merton Township: questions
What is the median household income in Merton Township?
$83,500 (±$65,037) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $75,081 across South Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Merton Township?
8.1%, against 11.9% across South Dakota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
Where do people who live in Merton Township work?
0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Watertown (36%, 26 mi), Day Township (21%, 5 mi), Clark (14%, 9 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Merton 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 Merton Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of Merton 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.