1880 · A Harvest field · Library of Congress
Brookings’s story
Brookings in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 29 places on the National Register.
- 1880A Harvest field
1880 · from Brookings’s archive
BrookingsSD
A town of 23,948. Home to 29 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 bordering townsMap →
Library of Congress
Population
23,948
+6% since 2010
Median home value
$266K
Census ACS
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
24.7
years
Jobs based here
15,183
A job hub
What makes Brookings stand out
The 3 things Brookings does most differently from other towns.
1880 · A Harvest fieldHistory
29 historic places
29 places on the National Register
6 archive photos, postcards and papers.
100 U.S. towns● Brookings
Health
Healthier than 84%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than SD on 12 measures, worse on 5.
15,183jobs here
Work
15,183 jobs
based in Brookings, a regional job hub
63% of working residents work in town.
College town
29% of Brookings is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Brookings’s report card
Now in Brookings
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Brookings is #36 of 37 in SD for “Oldest”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Brookings’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →63°
Cloudy
H 69° · L 60°
Local news
All →- SD 4-H announces 2026 Premier Exhibitor awardsTri-State Livestock News · Sep 25
- '250+ years of American civics and news'South Dakota News Watch · Sep 22
- Brookings County Sheriff Investigates Hay Field Damage Near 215th Street and 468th AvenueNortheast Radio SD · Sep 21
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brookings. Another town gets a different order.
Health
Healthier than 84% of U.S. towns
Brookings beats the South Dakota average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
A−Health Grade
26 measures vs. South Dakota
12 better9 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Brookings | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.3% | 3.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.5% | 6.8% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.1% | 18.8% |
Brookings Health System
1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
85th
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Brookings
63% of Brookings’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Sioux Falls (13%), Watertown (2%) and Madison (1%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
63%work in town
Where working residents work
In Brookings63%
Sioux Falls13%
Watertown2%
Madison1%
Elkton1%
2 mi
median commute distance
15,183
jobs based in Brookings
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
5.7% of Brookings is conserved land
6.2 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves.
5.7%conserved
5.7%
conserved · 513 of 8,952 acres
6.2 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
#8
most conserved land in SD
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Douglas Chittick Community Gardens | 1.4 mi | 76 |
| 2. McCrory Gardens | 1 mi | 70 |
| 3. Dakota Nature Park | 0.4 mi | 145 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
Homes in Brookings sell for about $318K
The median sale price was $318,000 in May 2026.
$318Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Brookings’s public schools outperform 53% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Brookings’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 53% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camelot Intermediate - 06 | 4–5 | 523 | C+ |
| Dakota Prairie Elementary - 07 | PK–3 | 509 | B |
| Medary Elementary - 05 | PK–3 | 358 | B |
| Hillcrest Elementary - 04 | PK–3 | 316 | B− |
| Bobcat Plains Academy Elementary School - 94 | K–5 | — | Not graded |
| St. Thomas More Catholic School Private | PK–4 | 116 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduationAll 11 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Brookings has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–26°
Spring32–54°
Summer58–80°
Fall35–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 35% of U.S. communities.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
14
paid flood claims since 1980
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 62% of U.S. towns
Brookings reports less crime per resident than 62% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
BSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brookings1.1
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brookings8.6
South Dakota14.3
U.S.15.5
62nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
71st
percentile among SD towns
28
violent crimes reported in 2025
215
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
A job hub
Every workday, about 8,819 people come to Brookings for work
Where Brookings’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
15,183jobs based in Brookings
63%of working residents work in town
2 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
29 places in Brookings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Brookings
22 notable people were born in Brookings.
R
Robert H. BurrisAmerican biochemist · 1914–2010R
Ray EllefsonAmerican basketball player · 1927–1994
Brookings’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Brookings.
More about Brookings
Still missing for Brookings:a photo of Brookingsupcoming events