Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety100#4/924
Economy85#143/925
Housing87#120/925
Health96#40/925
Healthcare65#327/923
Environment75#234/917
Education98#24/925
Infrastructure88#111/925
Community66#319/925
Leisure & amenities66#317/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brookings, SD micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Child poverty rate · low4.8%
100/100South Dakota 11.9%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Injury deaths · low41 /100k
100/100South Dakota 90 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high97.1%
100/100South Dakota 93.2%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Average commute time · low14.3 min
99/100South Dakota 17.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Traffic deaths · low5.7 /100k
99/100South Dakota 15.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low2.1%
99/100South Dakota 2.1%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
0/100South Dakota 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low0.5 /10k
2/100South Dakota 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New business applications · low7.4 /1k
5/100South Dakota 12.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high156 mi
6/100South Dakota 185 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · low2.1 /10k
21/100South Dakota 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high1.4%
23/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
34,338 (2020) → 37,635 (2025)
+9.6%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Homicide rateImproving
2.8 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
PharmaciesWorsening
0.3 /10k (2020) → 0.0 /10k (2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Drought exposureWorsening
36% (2021) → 53% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+17 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$53,183 (2019) → $77,036 (2024)
+45%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
47.2% (2015-2019) → 38.3% (2020-2024)
−8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Brookings, SD micropolitan area improved on 12 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 7 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Real income+45%$53,183 → $77,036
Rent burden−8.9 points47.2% → 38.3%
Traffic deaths−30%8.1 /100k → 5.6 /100k
Child poverty−6.8 points11.6% → 4.8%
Violent crime−34%135 /100k → 89 /100k

Declined7

Pharmacies−100%0.3 /10k → 0.0 /10k
Gyms−39%1.7 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Arts & recreation−12%8.7 /10k → 7.7 /10k
Restaurants−8.8%11.6 /10k → 10.6 /10k
Price / income+0.7×3.1× → 3.8×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Brookings, SD micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	8.7 /10k2020	7.7 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	12%
Average commute time	15.2 min2015-2019	14.3 min2020-2024	−0.9 min	Within the margin of error	86%
Average weekly wage	$9292020	$1,1262025	+21%	Improved	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	40.3%2015-2019	42.5%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Broadband subscriptions	83.1%2015-2019	91.2%2020-2024	+8.1 points	Improved	39%
Child poverty rate	11.6%2015-2019	4.8%2020-2024	−6.8 points	Improved	88%
Distance to an airport	51 mi2020	51 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	1.31%2015-2019	1.11%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	73%
Firearm deaths	9.3 /100k2020	10.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+14%	Declined	30%
Grocery stores	0.6 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−8.8%	Declined	26%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.7 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−39%	Declined	7%
High school diploma or higher	95.0%2015-2019	97.1%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	27%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,1832019	$77,0362024	+45%	Improved	95%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4142015-2019	0.4152020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$58,1362015-2019	$70,0642020-2024	+21%	Improved	16%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	7.4 /1k2025	+24%	Improved	20%
Pharmacies	0.3 /10k2020	0.0 /10k2025	−100%	Declined	0%
Poverty rate	14.7%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Property crime rate	785 /100k2020	730 /100k2025	−7%	Improved	10%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−3.7%	Little change	33%
Rent as share of income	27.8%2015-2019	24.2%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Rent-burdened households	47.2%2015-2019	38.3%2020-2024	−8.9 points	Improved	97%
Restaurants and bars	11.6 /10k2020	10.6 /10k2025	−8.8%	Declined	15%
Suicide rate	16.8 /100k2020	15.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−9.5%	Improved	78%
Traffic deaths	8.1 /100k2015-2019	5.6 /100k2020-2024	−30%	Improved	94%
Unemployment rate	3.8%2020	2.1%2025	−1.7 points	Improved	14%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.9%2015-2019	5.9%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Violent crime rate	135 /100k2020	89 /100k2025	−34%	Improved	81%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Brookings, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brookings, SD micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Brookings, SD micropolitan area itself moved +1.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

35,353 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−0.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

35,353 residents

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

White87%30,925
Black1.0%†371
Hispanic or Latino4.6%1,609
Asian3.3%1,160
American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%277
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races2.9%1,011

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−2.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

19,194 residents (±174)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

No high school diploma2.9%†555
High school or GED24%4,685
Some college19%3,662
Associate degree11%2,133
Bachelor's degree28%5,418
Graduate degree14%2,741

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: No high school diploma (−2.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

13,798 households (±279)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%2,175
$25k–50k18%2,526
$50k–75k19%2,604
$75k–100k11%1,498
$100k–150k21%2,900
$150k–200k9.3%1,286
$200k or more5.9%809

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $75k–100k (−5.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

13,798 households (±279)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Own57%7,896
Rent43%5,902

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

5,616 households (±426)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under $75032%1,789
$750–1,00023%1,269
$1,000–1,50029%1,622

Home values

7,896 homes (±374)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under $150k18%1,384
$150k–250k28%2,189
$250k–400k37%2,933

Age of homes

15,179 homes (±63)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

2010 or later20%3,031
2000–200915%2,249
1980–199917%2,597
1960–1979

Size of homes

15,179 homes (±63)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Studio1.6%†247
1 bedroom11%1,735
2 bedrooms26%3,935

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

18,577 workers (±480)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone74%13,720
Carpool9.2%1,718
Public transit0.5%†84
Walk3.9%720
Bike0.9%†176
Work from home11%2,064
Other0.5%†95

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+5.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

16,513 workers (±539)

Brookings, SD micropolitan area
United States share

Under 15 min64%10,553
15–29 min25%4,133
30–44 min6.7%1,103

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Brookings, SD micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Brookings, SD has 958 employer establishments, 267 for every 10,000 residents (1.08× the US rate of 248), with 15,151 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,225. The Census Bureau also counts 2,427 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 958; 2,427 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 267; US 248
Paid employees: 15,151
Average annual pay: $47,225; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Brookings, SD by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	79	22.1	1.42×More than typical	358	$61,299	157
Restaurants and other eating places	60	16.7	0.91×About typical	1,249	$18,361	11
Ambulatory health care services	54	15.1	0.72×Fewer than typical	418	$51,194	69
Construction of buildings	37	10.3	1.37×More than typical	199	$60,935	67
Truck transportation	37	10.3	2.04×More than typical	182	$60,022	59
Lessors of real estate	36	10	0.82×About typical	184	$43,560	370
Building equipment contractors	33	9.2	1.53×More than typical	169	$51,101	16
Religious organizations	31	8.7	1.56×More than typical	244	$21,721	—
Limited-service restaurants	30	8.4	1.04×About typical	547	$18,952	3
Services to buildings and dwellings	28	7.8	1.16×About typical	145	$27,628	131
Full-service restaurants	24	6.7	0.87×About typical	575	$19,847	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	23	6.4	1.27×More than typical	107	$42,215	28

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 35,827 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $6.9M on contracts performed in Brookings, SD micropolitan area: $184 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $6.9M; +7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $184; US $1,994
Sole-source: 51%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$1.8M26%
Department of the Army$1.7M

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $218.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Brookings, SD micropolitan area: $5,797 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $218.2M; −4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,797; US $12,955
Loan face value: $13.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 11%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$109.7M50%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$12.8M5.9%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$10.8M4.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$9.3M4.3%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$9.3M4.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$7.6M3.5%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$6.3M2.9%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$5.3M2.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY$35.8M16%
BROOKINGS, SD
STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA$7.2M3.3%
PIERRE, SD
BROOKINGS COUNTY HOUSING & REDEVE$1.8M0.8%
BROOKINGS, SD
BROOKINGS, CITY OF$1.1M0.5%
BROOKINGS, SD
FOSTER FARMS LLC$395.1K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$128.7M59%
Farm Service Agency$18.8M8.6%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$16.2M7.4%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$15.2M7.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Institute of Food and Agriculture$9.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

220MFY2021
165.3MFY2022
183.5MFY2023
193.8MFY2024
227.9MFY2025
218.2MFY2026

County aggregates

67%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Brookings, SD

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Brookings CountyCentral county9537,635

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BrookingsPrincipal city23,948

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Areas based in South Dakota, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M15100

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Brookings, SD micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Brookings, SD

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in South Dakota

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined7

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards