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COUNTY

Brookings County

South Dakota · 37,635 residents (2025 est.) · 792 sq mi
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Part of the Brookings micropolitan area
The short version

With 35,353 people, Brookings County is a county in South Dakota. This skews young, with a median age of 28.0. That puts it in the top 10% of US counties for household income. People stay put here: 75% were in the same home a year ago. The average commute runs 14 minutes. Growth has run 25% since 2000, or 7,133 more people.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 28.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 71%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
35,353
+25%since 2000
from 28,220 in 2000
37,635 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
45 / sq mi
+20%since 2009
from 37 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
28.0
+5%since 2000
from 26.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
792 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
24K27K30K33K36K19902000201020202024Brookings County
202435K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(1,870)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.9%(2,455)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.3%(1,865)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1911.8%(4,174)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2416.4%(5,795)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.8%(4,521)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.2%(3,950)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 548.1%(2,861)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 648.8%(3,126)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.8%(2,774)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.1%(1,433)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(529)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,064
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,438 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$35,295
+101%since 2000
from $17,586 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.1%
+26.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2000
from 14.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.415
−2%since 2010
from 0.425 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade21%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9%
US avg: 10.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing6.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction6.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Other services4.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade4.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical1.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing0.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$264,600
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$901
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $396 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
57.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 58.2% in 2000
42.8% rent
Vacancy rate
9.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.25 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
36.2%
−10.7 ptssince 2009
from 46.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.8
+20%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
57
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.9%(27,062)
Black0.3%(85)
Hispanic / Latino0.9%(247)
Asian1.3%(375)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic87.5%(30,925)
Black1%(371)
Hispanic / Latino4.6%(1,609)
Asian3.3%(1,160)
Other3.6%(1,288)
Diversity Score
29
+115%since 2009
from 13 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
19
+20%since 2020
from 15 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.6%(548)
Puerto Rican1.5%(531)
Guatemalan0.6%(203)
Honduran0.3%(95)
Colombian0.3%(92)
Chilean0.1%(41)
Spaniard0%(16)
Cuban0%(11)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.3%(457)
Chinese0.8%(273)
Nepalese0.6%(207)
Filipino0.4%(126)
Japanese0.1%(42)
Korean0.1%(22)
Burmese0%(13)
Hmong0%(1)
Ancestry
German38.5%(13,601)
Norwegian14.4%(5,093)
Irish10.4%(3,688)
English7.4%(2,599)
Dutch5%(1,757)
Swedish2.4%(859)
Danish2.3%(797)
American1.5%(540)
Czech1.4%(494)
Polish1.4%(484)
French1.3%(456)
Scottish1.1%(379)
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data
Slovak0.9%(311)
Italian0.7%(251)
Belgian0.7%(230)
Russian0.6%(227)
Ethiopian0.6%(202)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(183)
Welsh0.4%(137)
Finnish0.4%(128)
British0.2%(80)
Arab0.2%(64)
Lebanese0.2%(64)
Greek0.2%(61)
Ukrainian0.2%(56)
Hungarian0.2%(55)
Brazilian0.1%(51)
Nigerian0.1%(37)
Canadian0.1%(36)
Swiss0.1%(34)
Romanian0.1%(21)
Austrian0.1%(19)
Armenian0%(13)
Iranian0%(13)
Kenyan0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.5%
+10.3 ptssince 2000
from 32.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
97.1%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 90.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 12.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
14.3 min
+30%since 2000
from 11.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.9%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 74.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.1%
+7.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.9%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2011
from 4.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 70.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
82.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 80.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
16.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.9%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 33.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Female
49.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Foreign born
6.2%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.8%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2012
from 9.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.2%
+10.9 ptssince 2017
from 80.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.8%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 94.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
74.7%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 77.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.3%
−2.9 ptssince 2016
from 93.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.5%
+1.1 ptssince 2016
from 2.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49.7%(7,404)
Married43%(6,404)
Widowed1.5%(229)
Divorced5.7%(851)
Women 15+
Never married43.4%(6,201)
Married45.4%(6,481)
Widowed4.3%(618)
Divorced6.8%(975)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
65.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 65.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
19.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.7%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 13.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
8.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 7.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 82.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
21.5%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 19.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)19.4%(258)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.6%(208)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era41.4%(551)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(84)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,332 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Brookings County to nearby counties

BROOKINGS COUNTY VS
Moody County
Income$78,427+12%
Home value$226,500−14%
Population6,632−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROOKINGS COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$69,694−1%
Home value$164,400−38%
Population5,583−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROOKINGS COUNTY VS
Deuel County
Income$83,112+19%
Home value$205,900−22%
Population4,408−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROOKINGS COUNTY VS
Hamlin County
Income$87,101+24%
Home value$208,600−21%
Population6,900−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Brookings County, South Dakota?

Brookings County, South Dakota has about 35,353 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Brookings County, South Dakota?

The typical household in Brookings County, South Dakota earns about $70,064 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Brookings County, South Dakota expensive?

In Brookings County, South Dakota, the median home is worth about $264,600, and the typical rent is about $901 a month.

How educated are people in Brookings County, South Dakota?

About 42.5% of adults age 25 and over in Brookings County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Brookings County, South Dakota?

About 13.2% of people in Brookings County, South Dakota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Brookings County, South Dakota grown since 1990?

Yes, Brookings County, South Dakota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 10,146 residents, a change of about 40 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →