MICROPOLITAN AREA
Brookings Micro
Brookings, SD · 1 counties · 37,635 residents (2025 est.) · 792 sq mi
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The short version
With 35,353 people, Brookings is a metro area. The median age is 28.0, younger than the US median of 38.9. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. 75% were living in the same home a year earlier. Getting to work takes 14 minutes on average. 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
35,353
+25%since 2000
from 28,220 in 2000
37,635 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
792 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202435K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(1,870)
5 to 96.9%(2,455)
10 to 145.3%(1,865)
15 to 1911.8%(4,174)
20 to 2416.4%(5,795)
25 to 3412.8%(4,521)
35 to 4411.2%(3,950)
45 to 548.1%(2,861)
55 to 648.8%(3,126)
65 to 747.8%(2,774)
75 to 844.1%(1,433)
85 and over1.5%(529)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$70,064
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,438 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
47.1%
+26.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade21%
Information9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing6.4%
Construction6.2%
Other services4.8%
Wholesale trade4.4%
Public administration3.3%
Finance & insurance2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
Professional, scientific, technical1.5%
Transportation & warehousing0.9%
Education & health services0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$264,600
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
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.
59
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)
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.
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)
Central American0.9%(316)
Guatemalan0.6%(203)
South American0.4%(150)
Honduran0.3%(95)
Colombian0.3%(92)
Chilean0.1%(41)
Nicaraguan0%(16)
Spaniard0%(16)
Cuban0%(11)
Bolivian0%(6)
+ 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)
Taiwanese0%(1)
Hmong0%(1)
Vietnamese0%(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)
Subsaharan African0.9%(301)
Italian0.7%(251)
Belgian0.7%(230)
Russian0.6%(227)
Ethiopian0.6%(202)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(183)
French Canadian0.4%(158)
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)
Lithuanian0%(14)
Armenian0%(13)
Iranian0%(13)
Croatian0%(9)
Portuguese0%(8)
West Indian0%(5)
Jamaican0%(5)
Kenyan0%(4)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
97.1%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 90.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
82.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 80.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.8%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 94.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Direct-purchase
19.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)15.6%(208)
Vietnam era41.4%(551)
Korean War6.3%(84)
World War II0%(0)
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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Brookings
Lewisburg
Pop 38,071
Fort Dodge
Pop 36,838
Crawfordsville
Pop 38,954
Garden City
Pop 37,505
Places similar to BrookingsHead to head
Compare Brookings side by side
BROOKINGS VS
Lewisburg
Income$71,049+1%
Home value$279,800+6%
Population38,071+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROOKINGS VS
Fort Dodge
Income$68,975−2%
Home value$153,800−42%
Population36,838−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROOKINGS VS
Crawfordsville
Income$71,479+2%
Home value$171,800−35%
Population38,954+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROOKINGS VS
Garden City
Income$73,009+4%
Home value$201,400−24%
Population37,505same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Brookings, SD?
Brookings, SD has about 35,353 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Brookings, SD?
The typical household in Brookings, SD earns about $70,064 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Brookings, SD expensive?
In Brookings, SD, the median home is worth about $264,600, and the typical rent is about $901 a month.
How educated are people in Brookings, SD?
About 42.5% of adults age 25 and over in Brookings, SD hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Brookings, SD?
About 13.2% of people in Brookings, SD live below the federal poverty line.
Has Brookings, SD grown since 1990?
Yes, Brookings, SD 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 · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024