Wenona Hall and Wecota Hall at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota are women's dormitories that were built in 1909 and 1915. John J. Schwartz was architect. The combination was listed on the U.S.

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29 on the National Register · #5 in SDHistoric places →

Know Brookings

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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How Brookings ranks

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#3Fewest smokers in SD #4Closest to a top hospital in SD #5Most educated in SD All SD rankings →

Town numbers

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Living in Brookings

Housing in Brookings

$318K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $318,000 in May 2026.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Brookings

Safety Grade B

Brookings reports less crime per resident than 62% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Brookings 1.1

South Dakota 3.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Brookings 8.6

South Dakota 14.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Brookings

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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.

Sioux Falls

13%

Watertown

Madison

Elkton

63%Work in townlive and work in Brookings 2 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 15,183Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Brookings →

Health in Brookings

A⁻

Health Grade A−

Healthier than 84% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with South Dakota

12better than SD·5worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 9 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▲ 1▼ 3 close Habits 2▲ 1▼ 1 close Care 3▼ 4 close Mind 2▲ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

2.3%Fewer adults who have had a strokeSD 3.5% · better 4.5%Fewer adults with heart diseaseSD 6.8% · better 22.1%More binge drinkersSD 18.8% · worse

Care nearby

Brookings Health SystemBrookings · 1 mi · ER

Access Health - BrookingsBrookings · 1.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Brookings · CMS · HRSAHealth in Brookings →

Natural hazards in Brookings

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 35% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🥶 Cold waves

14Does Brookings flood?paid flood claims since 1980 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Brookings MapBrookings vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Brookings →

Climate in Brookings

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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.

26° / 8°Winter

54° / 32°Spring

80° / 58°Summer

57° / 35°Fall

How much snow does Brookings get?About 36 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 1, with the last in spring around May 6.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.5° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Brookings →

Schools in Brookings

All Brookings schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

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.

See how Brookings’s schools compare in SD →

DistrictBrookings School District 05-1Schools11

Camelot Intermediate - 06 C+Elementary · Grades 4–5 · 523 students Dakota Prairie Elementary - 07 BElementary · Grades PK–3 · 509 students Medary Elementary - 05 BElementary · Grades PK–3 · 358 students Hillcrest Elementary - 04 B-Elementary · Grades PK–3 · 316 students Bobcat Plains Academy Elementary School - 94Elementary · Grades K–5 St. Thomas More Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades PK–4 · 116 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within SD. Ratings are from neighbors.