Brookings County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Brookings County has a population of 35,353 residents and a median age of 28.0 years, making it the #1,334 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $264,600, and the median household income is $70,064, which is 7% below the national median.
Demographics
Brookings County has a population of 35,353, making it the #1,334 most populous county in the US. The median age is 28.0 years, which is 28.0% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Brookings County is $70,064, ranking #1,196 out of 3,222 counties — 6.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 3.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Brookings County is $264,600 (-6.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $901/mo and the homeownership rate is 57.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Brookings County, 42.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 26.1% above the national average, ranking #214 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Brookings County is 79.9 years. 12.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
13.4% of adults in Brookings County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 24.4% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 12.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
7.4% of children in Brookings County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 6.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Brookings County is 55.2%. The mean commute time is 16.1 min, which is 41.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Brookings County voted Republican with a margin of 17.4%. The vote was 40% Dem / 57.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Brookings County, South Dakota
Brookings County, South Dakota has a total population of 35,353, making it the 1,334th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Brookings County is 28.0 years, which is 28.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Brookings County is $70,064, which ranks #1,196 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.7%.
The median home value in Brookings County is $264,600, 6.1% below the national median. Renters in Brookings County pay a median gross rent of $901 per month. The homeownership rate is 57.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Brookings County, 42.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 16.1 min.
Brookings County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.6%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (3.3%).
All data for Brookings County, South Dakota comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.