Brookings County, South Dakota | |
|---|---|
 Brookings County Courthouse in Brookings | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofSouth Dakota | |
| Coordinates:44°22′N96°47′W / 44.37°N 96.79°W /44.37; -96.79 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Dakota |
| Founded | 1862 (created) July 3, 1871 (organized) |
| Named after | Wilmot Wood Brookings |
| Seat | Brookings |
| Largest city | Brookings |
| Area | |
• Total | 805 sq mi (2,080 km2) |
| • Land | 792 sq mi (2,050 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2) 1.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 34,375 |
• Estimate (2024) | 36,359 |
| • Density | 43.4/sq mi (16.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Website | www |
Brookings County is acounty in theU.S. state ofSouth Dakota. As of the2020 census, the population was 34,375,[1] making it thefifth most populous county in South Dakota. Itscounty seat isBrookings.[2] The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1871.[3]
Brookings County comprises the Brookings, SDMicropolitan Statistical Area. It is also the location ofSouth Dakota State University.
The county was organized July 3, 1871, and was named forWilmot Wood Brookings (1830-1905), a politician and pioneer of southeastern South Dakota.Medary was the first county seat, from 1871 to 1879, when it was moved to the city of Brookings.
Brookings County is on the east side of South Dakota. Its east boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state ofMinnesota. The Big Sioux River flows south-southeastward through the east central part of the county; its point of entry into Moody County marks Brookings County's lowest elevation: 1,568 ft (478 m) ASL.[4]
The county terrain consists of sloped flatlands, marked by numerous lakes and ponds especially in the western part. The area is largely devoted to agricultural use.[5] The county has a total area of 805 square miles (2,080 km2), of which 782 square miles (2,030 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (1.6%) is water.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 163 | — | |
| 1880 | 4,965 | 2,946.0% | |
| 1890 | 10,132 | 104.1% | |
| 1900 | 12,561 | 24.0% | |
| 1910 | 14,178 | 12.9% | |
| 1920 | 16,119 | 13.7% | |
| 1930 | 16,847 | 4.5% | |
| 1940 | 16,560 | −1.7% | |
| 1950 | 17,851 | 7.8% | |
| 1960 | 20,046 | 12.3% | |
| 1970 | 22,158 | 10.5% | |
| 1980 | 24,332 | 9.8% | |
| 1990 | 25,207 | 3.6% | |
| 2000 | 28,220 | 12.0% | |
| 2010 | 31,965 | 13.3% | |
| 2020 | 34,375 | 7.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 36,359 | [11] | 5.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, there were 34,375 people, 13,120 households, and 7,419 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 43.4 inhabitants per square mile (16.8/km2).[16]
Of the residents, 21.0% were under the age of 18 and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 29.7 years. For every 100 females there were 104.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.9 males.[16]
The racial makeup of the county was 88.1% White, 1.9%Black or African American, 1.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.7%Asian, 1.9% from some other race, and 4.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.2% of the population.[17]
There were 13,120 households in the county, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 14,849 housing units, of which 11.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 59.4% were owner-occupied and 40.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.9%.[16]
As of the2010 census, there were 31,965 people, 12,029 households, and 6,623 families in the county. The population density was 40.3 inhabitants per square mile (15.6/km2). There were 13,137 housing units at an average density of 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% white, 2.7% Asian, 0.9% American Indian, 0.8% black or African American, 0.9% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 47.9% wereGerman, 24.3% wereNorwegian, 11.9% wereIrish, 6.9% wereEnglish, 6.1% wereDutch, and 2.0% wereAmerican.
Of the 12,029 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.9% were non-families, and 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 26.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,134 and the median income for a family was $63,338. Males had a median income of $40,425 versus $30,023 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,995. About 5.9% of families and 19.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Typical of the Great Plains, Brookings County voters are reliably Republican, even for a county with politics influenced by a college town. In only two national elections since 1932 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate. Despite being reliably Republican territory, no Republican has taken over 60% of the vote since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 1,082 | 51.57% | 189 | 9.01% | 827 | 39.42% |
| 1896 | 1,263 | 48.71% | 1,288 | 49.67% | 42 | 1.62% |
| 1900 | 1,707 | 57.36% | 1,084 | 36.42% | 185 | 6.22% |
| 1904 | 2,220 | 76.18% | 353 | 12.11% | 341 | 11.70% |
| 1908 | 1,697 | 63.58% | 588 | 22.03% | 384 | 14.39% |
| 1912 | 0 | 0.00% | 740 | 30.90% | 1,655 | 69.10% |
| 1916 | 1,638 | 51.79% | 1,385 | 43.79% | 140 | 4.43% |
| 1920 | 2,743 | 68.64% | 564 | 14.11% | 689 | 17.24% |
| 1924 | 4,708 | 48.51% | 1,010 | 10.41% | 3,987 | 41.08% |
| 1928 | 4,586 | 70.05% | 1,915 | 29.25% | 46 | 0.70% |
| 1932 | 3,231 | 48.96% | 3,247 | 49.20% | 121 | 1.83% |
| 1936 | 3,899 | 53.40% | 3,161 | 43.29% | 242 | 3.31% |
| 1940 | 5,016 | 65.25% | 2,671 | 34.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 4,136 | 66.61% | 2,073 | 33.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 3,975 | 57.39% | 2,907 | 41.97% | 44 | 0.64% |
| 1952 | 5,988 | 76.29% | 1,861 | 23.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 5,293 | 66.89% | 2,620 | 33.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 5,710 | 65.75% | 2,974 | 34.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 3,692 | 46.83% | 4,191 | 53.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 4,674 | 57.84% | 3,202 | 39.62% | 205 | 2.54% |
| 1972 | 5,182 | 52.26% | 4,701 | 47.41% | 33 | 0.33% |
| 1976 | 5,278 | 52.64% | 4,685 | 46.73% | 63 | 0.63% |
| 1980 | 5,727 | 52.15% | 3,934 | 35.83% | 1,320 | 12.02% |
| 1984 | 6,679 | 61.76% | 4,089 | 37.81% | 46 | 0.43% |
| 1988 | 5,394 | 52.34% | 4,860 | 47.16% | 51 | 0.49% |
| 1992 | 4,698 | 39.14% | 4,645 | 38.70% | 2,659 | 22.15% |
| 1996 | 5,112 | 45.35% | 5,105 | 45.29% | 1,055 | 9.36% |
| 2000 | 6,212 | 56.55% | 4,546 | 41.39% | 226 | 2.06% |
| 2004 | 7,662 | 57.29% | 5,443 | 40.70% | 270 | 2.02% |
| 2008 | 6,431 | 46.12% | 7,207 | 51.68% | 307 | 2.20% |
| 2012 | 6,220 | 50.16% | 5,827 | 46.99% | 353 | 2.85% |
| 2016 | 6,748 | 53.22% | 4,879 | 38.48% | 1,053 | 8.30% |
| 2020 | 8,000 | 54.92% | 6,110 | 41.94% | 457 | 3.14% |
| 2024 | 8,575 | 57.40% | 5,978 | 40.02% | 386 | 2.58% |
School districts include:[19]
Places adjacent to Brookings County, South Dakota | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofBrookings County, South Dakota,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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