2015 · Brandon Valley High School · Wikimedia Commons
Brandon’s story
Brandon in pictures
5 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
BrandonSD
A town of 10,996. Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
Population
10,996
+25.8% since 2010
Median home value
$337K
Census ACS
Household income
$111K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
3,808
A commuter town
What makes Brandon stand out
The 3 things Brandon does most differently from other towns.
ASchool Grade
Schools
#1 for schools in SD
of 34 towns
School Grade A.
100 U.S. towns● Brandon
Health
Healthier than 89%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than SD on 14 measures, worse on 0.
Outdoors
#15 most conserved land in SD
0.9 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
3.4% of the town is conserved land.
A growing town
Brandon has grown 25.8% since 2010
8,785 people in 2010; 10,996 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Brandon’s report card
Now in Brandon
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Brandon is #1 of 34 in SD for “Best schools”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Brandon’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →64°
Partly Cloudy
H 63° · L 48°
Local news
All →- South Dakota High School Football Composite RankingsOn3 · Sep 28
- Brandon Valley holds serve with home court sweep of O'GormanSioux Falls Live · Sep 18
- Fareway Stores Breaks Ground at South Dakota LocationProgressive Grocer · Sep 17
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brandon. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Brandon’s public schools outperform 91% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Brandon’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 91% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
ASchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Elementary - 03 | PK–4 | 728 | A− |
| Robert Bennis Elementary - 05 | K–4 | 542 | A |
| Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 | 7–8 | 759 | A |
| Brandon Valley High School - 01 | 9–12 | 1,381 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Brandon
Most working residents leave Brandon for work: only 17% work in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (60%), Sioux City (1%) and Rapid City (1%). Half commute less than 9 miles.
17%work in town
Where working residents work
In Brandon17%
Sioux Falls60%
Sioux City1%
Rapid City1%
Brookings1%
9 mi
median commute distance
3,808
jobs based in Brandon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Brandon beats the South Dakota average on 14 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
AHealth Grade
26 measures vs. South Dakota
14 better12 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Brandon | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.5% | 6.7% |
Avera Mckennan Hospital & University Health Center
7.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
93rd
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
Homes in Brandon sell for about $390K
The median sale price was $390,000 in May 2026.
$390Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
24
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
25
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
3.4% of Brandon is conserved land
0.9 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves.
3.4%conserved
3.4%
conserved · 134 of 3,905 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
#15
most conserved land in SD
#18
most walkable in SD
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aspen Park | 0.4 mi | 49 |
| 2. McHardy Park | 0.3 mi | 86 |
| 3. Big Sioux Recreation Area | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Brandon has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer60–82°
Fall37–60°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Crime reported in Brandon
Brandon's reported crime rate is well below South Dakota's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 5 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brandon0.5
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brandon3.3
South Dakota14.3
U.S.15.5
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
36
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2019
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A commuter town
83% of working residents leave Brandon for work
Where Brandon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,808jobs based in Brandon
17%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Brandon
3 notable people were born in Brandon.
About Brandon
City in South Dakota, United States
Brandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. Brandon is located five miles east of Sioux Falls. The population was 11,048 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 11,048
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,355 ft
- ZIP code
- 57005
- Area code
- 605
Brandon’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Brandon.
BrandonSplit RockBrandon
More about Brandon
Still missing for Brandon:a photo of Brandonupcoming events