Aurora is a city of 1,444 people in South Dakota. Since 2000 the city has roughly tripled, up 944 people. The median age is 29.0, younger than the US median of 38.9. That puts it in the top 9% of US cities for household income. The poverty rate is 2.7%, under the national 12.5%. That is roughly 28% ahead of the South Dakota median.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $95,952, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 87%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Aurora
What changed most since 1990
Population623 → 1,444(+132%)US over the same years: +35%
Median home value (2024 dollars)$92,163 → $234,600(+155%)US over the same years: +67%
Adults with a bachelor's degree12.2% → 42.8%(+30.6 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Aurora's population equals 4.1% of Brookings County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 0.8% of the county's. Its number of residents 65 and older equals 1.7% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)52.5%(42)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25%(20)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era10%(8)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 80 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Aurora, decade by decade
Aurora population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
623
$64,401
$92,163
12.2%
2.8
2000
500
$70,054
$125,512
19.1%
4.9
2010
532
$73,422
$136,233
15.2%
13.2
2020
1,047
$92,340
$197,805
33.1%
23.7
2024
1,444
$95,952
$234,600
42.8%
28.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
