Brookings, SD

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

34,968

0.973% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Rounds

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

1.08% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

12.8%

2.74% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$67,341

4.51% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$246,300

8.12% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

19,065

0.537% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Brookings, SD had a population of 35k people with a median age of 28 and a median household income of $67,341. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Brookings, SD grew from 34,631 to 34,968, a 0.973% increase and its median household income grew from $64,438 to $67,341, a 4.51% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Brookings, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (87.9%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (3.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.55%), Other (Hispanic) (1.6%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.22%).

None of the households in Brookings, SD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.2% of the residents in Brookings, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Brookings, SD are South Dakota State University (2,703 degrees awarded in 2022) and Institute of Lutheran Theology (13 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Brookings, SD was $246,300, and the homeownership rate was 58.9%.

Most people in Brookings, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 13.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Brookings, SD was 2 cars per household.

United States South Dakota

Population & Diversity

Brookings, SD is home to a population of 35k people, from which 96.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 5.52% of Brookings, SD residents were born outside of the country (1.93k people).

In 2023, there were 25.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (30.7k people) in Brookings, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.19k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 890 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.2%

2023 Citizenship

96.6%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.2% of Brookings, SD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Brookings, SD was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Brookings, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Brookings, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
30.7k ± 103
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
1.19k ± 93
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
890 ± 193

4.3%

Hispanic Population

1.5k people

4.3% of the people in Brookings, SD are hispanic (1.5k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Brookings, SD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for South Dakota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,032 ± 1,350 people
Guatemala
2,803 ± 1,298 people
Ethiopia
2,418 ± 1,206 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 South Dakota residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,803 and Ethiopia with 2,418.

Foreign-Born Population

5.52%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.93k people

5.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.8k people

As of 2023, 5.52% of Brookings, SD residents (1.93k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Brookings, SD was 5.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Brookings, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
587 ± 142
Gulf War (2001-)
235 ± 93
Korea
114 ± 105

Brookings, SD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.5 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Brookings, SD employs 19.1k people. The largest industries in Brookings, SD are Manufacturing (4,048 people), Educational Services (3,340 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,933 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($116,298), Utilities ($60,417), and Wholesale Trade ($58,409).

Males in South Dakota have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,552. The income inequality in South Dakota (measured using the Gini index) is 0.438, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

19.1k

2023 Value

± 1,008

−0.537%

1 Year decline

± 7.66%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Brookings, SD declined at a rate of −0.537%, from 19.2k employees to 19.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Brookings, SD, are Management Occupations (2,239 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,924 people), and Production Occupations (1,903 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Brookings, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

19.1k

2023 Value

± 1,008

−0.537%

1 Year decline

± 7.66%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Brookings, SD declined at a rate of −0.537%, from 19.2k employees to 19.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Brookings, SD, are Manufacturing (4,048 people), Educational Services (3,340 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,933 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Brookings, SD, though some of these residents may live in Brookings, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,361

Median earning men ± $1,635

$34,197

Median earning women ± $2,689

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,830), Wholesale Trade ($62,857), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($59,545).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($54,150), Construction ($52,778), and Manufacturing ($46,840).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Y-Axis

2.37%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 450k people employed in South Dakota. This represents a 2.37% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.96%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Dakota.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

74
Construction
62
Other Services (except Public Administration)
44
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$316k
Manufacturing
$63.2k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$51k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2022, universities in Brookings, SD awarded 2,716 degrees. The student population of Brookings, SD in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 4,951 male students and 6,376 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Brookings, SD are White (2,301 and 90.5%), followed by Two or More Races (55 and 2.16%), Hispanic or Latino (54 and 2.12%), and Black or African American (49 and 1.93%).

The largest universities in Brookings, SD by number of degrees awarded are South Dakota State University (2,703 and 99.5%) and Institute of Lutheran Theology (13 and 0.479%).

The most popular majors in Brookings, SD are Registered Nursing (383 and 14.1%), Mechanical Engineering (106 and 3.9%), and General Studies (93 and 3.42%).

The median tuition costs in Brookings, SD are $9,600 for private four year colleges, and $7,773 and $11,283 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Brookings, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 40%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 11,327 (43.7% men and 56.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 11,327 students enrolled in Brookings, SD, 43.7% men and 56.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 9,438 records, of which 57.1% were women and 42.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
336 degrees awarded
Mechanical Engineering
95 degrees awarded
Business & Managerial Economics
85 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Brookings, SD was Registered Nursing with 336 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Brookings, SD according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Dakota State University
2,703 degrees awarded
Institute of Lutheran Theology
13 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was South Dakota State University with 2,703 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 1,159 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Brookings, SD, which is 0.744 times less than the 1,557 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,301 degrees mean that there were 41.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Two or More Races, with 55 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($9,600) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,526) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Measure

In 2022, 0.574% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.482% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (206k), Some college (148k), and Bachelors Degree (133k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Brookings, SD was $246,300 in 2023, which is 0.812 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $227,800 to $246,300, a 8.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Brookings, SD is 58.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Brookings, SD have an average commute time of 13.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Brookings, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Brookings, SD is $67,341. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Brookings, SD was Lincoln County, SD with a value of $96,552, followed by Hanson County, SD and Union County, SD, with respective values of $86,375 and $84,137.

Housing

Property

$246,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,167

$7,941

Median Property Taxes

±$556

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Brookings, SD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Brookings, SD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

58.9%

Homeownership

2023

64.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 58.9% of the housing units in Brookings, SD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Brookings, SD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Brookings, SD was Lincoln County, SD with a value of $96,552, followed by Hanson County, SD and Union County, SD, with respective values of $86,375 and $84,137.

The following map shows all of the counties in Brookings, SD colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$67,341

Median Household Income

± $4,801

13.5k

Number of Households

± 831

In 2023, the median household income of the 13.5k households in Brookings, SD grew to $67,341 from the previous year's value of $64,438.

The following chart displays the households in Brookings, SD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Brookings, SD is from South Dakota.

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in South Dakota

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in South Dakota

In 2022, the income inequality in South Dakota was 0.438 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.26% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Dakota in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Dakota across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (75.1%)
Worked At Home (10.9%)
Carpooled (8.63%)

In 2023, 75.1% of workers in Brookings, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.9%) and those who carpooled to work (8.63%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

13.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Brookings, SD have a shorter commute time (13.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.661% of the workforce in Brookings, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Brookings, SD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Brookings, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Brookings, SD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Brookings, SD (4.08k out of 31.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Brookings, SD is White, followed by Hispanic and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

95.7% of the population of Brookings, SD has health coverage, with 61.7% on employee plans, 7.32% on Medicaid, 9.92% on Medicare, 15.1% on non-group plans, and 1.58% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Dakota see 1243 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.11% decrease from the previous year (1257 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1552 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 465 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

1,243 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in South Dakota

Primary care physicians in South Dakota see an average of 1,243 patients per year. This represents a 1.11% decrease from the previous year (1,257 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in South Dakota in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.5% under 18 years, 34.1% between 18 and 34 years, 28.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 13% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.4% were men and 49.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.34%

Uninsured

61.7%

Employer Coverage

7.32%

Medicaid

9.92%

Medicare

15.1%

Non-Group

1.58%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Brookings, SD declined by 7.26% from 4.68% to 4.34%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Brookings, SD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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