Brule County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Brule County has a population of 5,283 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #2,870 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.7%. The median home value is $216,800, and the median household income is $73,720, which is 2% below the national median.
Demographics
Brule County has a population of 5,283, making it the #2,870 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above 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 Brule County is $73,720, ranking #935 out of 3,222 counties — 1.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.7% and unemployment stands at 1.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Brule County is $216,800 (-23.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $835/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Brule County, 28.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 14.8% below the national average, ranking #859 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Brule County is 79.1 years. 17.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.2% of adults in Brule County smoke , 36.8% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
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Families & Children
14.6% of children in Brule County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Brule County is 64.1%. The mean commute time is 17.2 min, which is 37.6% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Brule County voted Republican with a margin of 42.4%. The vote was 27.5% Dem / 69.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.9 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Brule County, South Dakota
Brule County, South Dakota has a total population of 5,283, making it the 2,870th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Brule County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Brule County is $73,720, which ranks #935 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.5%.
The median home value in Brule County is $216,800, 23.1% below the national median. Renters in Brule County pay a median gross rent of $835 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Brule County, 28.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.2 min.
Brule County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 81.2% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (10.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
All data for Brule 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.