Brookings County, South Dakota

Last updated

Brookings County
County
Brookings court house.jpg
Brookings County Courthouse in Brookings
Map of South Dakota highlighting Brookings County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
South Dakota in United States.svg
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°22′N96°47′W / 44.37°N 96.79°W / 44.37; -96.79
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota
Founded1862 (created)
July 3, 1871 (organized)
Named for Wilmot Wood Brookings
Seat Brookings
Largest cityBrookings
Area
 • Total
805 sq mi (2,080 km2)
 • Land792 sq mi (2,050 km2)
 • Water13 sq mi (30 km2)  1.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
34,375
 • Estimate 
(2023)
35,980 Increase2.svg
 • Density43/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large
Website www.brookingscountysd.gov

Brookings County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,375, [1] making it the fifth most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Brookings. [2] The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1871. [3]

Contents

Brookings County comprises the Brookings, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is also the location of South Dakota State University.

History

The county was organized July 3, 1871, and was named for Wilmot 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.

Geography

Soils of Brookings County Brookings Co SD Pie Chart No Text Version.pdf
Soils of Brookings County

Brookings County is on the east side of South Dakota. Its east boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state of Minnesota. 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]

Major highways

By-pass plate.svg

Airports

Transit

Adjacent counties

Lakes

Protected areas

  • Aurora Prairie Nature Preserve [8]
  • Black Slough State Game Production Area
  • Brookings County State Game Production Area
  • Brookings Prairie Park [9]
  • Dakota Nature Park [10]
  • Deer Creek State Game Production Area
  • Kvernmoe Slough State Game Production Area
  • Lake Hendricks State Lakeside Use Area
  • Lake Poinsett State Recreation Area
  • Mehegan State Game Production Area
  • Moe Slough State game Production Area
  • Nelson State Game Production Area
  • Oak Lake State Game Production Area
  • Oakwood Lake State Game Production Area
  • Oakwood Lakes State Park

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1870 163—
1880 4,9652,946.0%
1890 10,132104.1%
1900 12,56124.0%
1910 14,17812.9%
1920 16,11913.7%
1930 16,8474.5%
1940 16,560−1.7%
1950 17,8517.8%
1960 20,04612.3%
1970 22,15810.5%
1980 24,3329.8%
1990 25,2073.6%
2000 28,22012.0%
2010 31,96513.3%
2020 34,3757.5%
2023 (est.)35,980 [11] 4.7%
US Decennial Census [12]
1790-1960 [13] 1900-1990 [14]
1990-2000 [15] 2010-2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 34,375 people, 13,120 households, and 7,419 families residing in the county. [16] The population density was 43.4 inhabitants per square mile (16.8/km2). There were 14,849 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 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% were German, 24.3% were Norwegian, 11.9% were Irish, 6.9% were English, 6.1% were Dutch, and 2.0% were American.

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 the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Afton
  • Alton
  • Argo
  • Aurora
  • Bangor
  • Brookings
  • Elkton
  • Eureka
  • Lake Hendricks
  • Lake Sinai
  • Laketon
  • Medary
  • Oaklake
  • Oakwood
  • Oslo
  • Parnell
  • Preston
  • Richland
  • Sherman
  • Sterling
  • Trenton
  • Volga
  • Winsor

Politics

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.

United States presidential election results for Brookings County, South Dakota [17]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 8,57557.40%5,97840.02%3862.58%
2020 8,00054.92%6,11041.94%4573.14%
2016 6,74853.22%4,87938.48%1,0538.30%
2012 6,22050.16%5,82746.99%3532.85%
2008 6,43146.12%7,20751.68%3072.20%
2004 7,66257.29%5,44340.70%2702.02%
2000 6,21256.55%4,54641.39%2262.06%
1996 5,11245.35%5,10545.29%1,0559.36%
1992 4,69839.14%4,64538.70%2,65922.15%
1988 5,39452.34%4,86047.16%510.49%
1984 6,67961.76%4,08937.81%460.43%
1980 5,72752.15%3,93435.83%1,32012.02%
1976 5,27852.64%4,68546.73%630.63%
1972 5,18252.26%4,70147.41%330.33%
1968 4,67457.84%3,20239.62%2052.54%
1964 3,69246.83%4,19153.17%00.00%
1960 5,71065.75%2,97434.25%00.00%
1956 5,29366.89%2,62033.11%00.00%
1952 5,98876.29%1,86123.71%00.00%
1948 3,97557.39%2,90741.97%440.64%
1944 4,13666.61%2,07333.39%00.00%
1940 5,01665.25%2,67134.75%00.00%
1936 3,89953.40%3,16143.29%2423.31%
1932 3,23148.96%3,24749.20%1211.83%
1928 4,58670.05%1,91529.25%460.70%
1924 4,70848.51%1,01010.41%3,98741.08%
1920 2,74368.64%56414.11%68917.24%
1916 1,63851.79%1,38543.79%1404.43%
1912 00.00%74030.90%1,65569.10%
1908 1,69763.58%58822.03%38414.39%
1904 2,22076.18%35312.11%34111.70%
1900 1,70757.36%1,08436.42%1856.22%
1896 1,26348.71%1,28849.67%421.62%
1892 1,08251.57%1899.01%82739.42%

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Union County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,811, making it the 13th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat has been Elk Point since April 30, 1865. Originally named Cole County, its name was changed to Union on January 7, 1864, because of Civil War sentiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McPherson County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

McPherson County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,411. Its county seat is Leola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCook County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

McCook County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. At the 2020 census, the population was 5,682. Its county seat is Salem. The county was established in 1873, and was organized in 1878. It was named for the former governor of the Dakota Territory and Civil War general Edwin Stanton McCook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Marshall County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,306. Its county seat is Britton. The county was created on May 2, 1885, and was named for Marshall Vincent, who homesteaded near Andover, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Lincoln County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,161, making it the third most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Canton. The county was named for Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. Lincoln County is included in the Sioux Falls, SD, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States in terms of rate of population increase, rate of housing unit increase, and many other factors. This is due to the southward growth of Sioux Falls, and the expansion of its suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Lake County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,059. Its county seat is Madison. The county was formed in 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerauld County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Jerauld County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,663. Its county seat is Wessington Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamlin County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Hamlin County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,164. Its county seat is Hayti. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1878. It was named for Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln's first vice-president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Gregory County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,994. Its county seat is Burke. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1898. It was named for the politician J. Shaw Gregory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmunds County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Edmunds County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,986. Its county seat is Ipswich. The county was established in 1873 and organized in 1883. It is named for Newton Edmunds, the second Governor of Dakota Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deuel County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Deuel County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,295. Its county seat is Clear Lake. The county was created in 1862, and was organized in 1878. It is named for Jacob Deuel, a legislator in 1862.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codington County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Codington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,325, making it the 7th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Watertown. The county was created in 1877 and organized in 1878. It is named for Rev. George S. S. Codington, Dakota Territory legislator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Clark County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,837. Its county seat is Clark. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1881. It was named for Newton Clark, a Dakota Territory legislator in 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Mix County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Charles Mix County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,373. Its county seat is Lake Andes. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1879. It was named for Charles Eli Mix, an official of the Bureau of Indian Affairs influential in signing a peace treaty with the local Lakota Indian tribes. The easternmost approximately 60% of the county comprises the Yankton Indian Reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Campbell County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,377, making it the fourth-least populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Mound City. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1884. It was named for Norman B. Campbell, a Dakota Territory legislator in 1873 and son of General Charles T. Campbell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brule County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Brule County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,247. Its county seat is Chamberlain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,301, making it the fourth most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Aberdeen. The county is named for Alfred Brown, of Hutchinson County, South Dakota, a Dakota Territory legislator in 1879.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beadle County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Beadle County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,149, making it the 11th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Huron. The county was created in 1879 and organized in 1880. Beadle County comprises the Huron, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Aurora County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,747. The county was created in 1879, and was organized in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookings, South Dakota</span> City in South Dakota, United States

Brookings is a city in and the county seat of Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is South Dakota's fourth most populous city, with a population of 23,377 at the 2020 census. It is home to South Dakota State University, the state's largest institution of higher education. Also in Brookings are the South Dakota Art Museum, the Children's Museum of South Dakota, the annual Brookings Summer Arts Festival, and the headquarters of several manufacturing companies and agricultural operations.

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ ""Find an Elevation" Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  5. ↑ Brookings County SD Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)
  6. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  7. ↑ Oak Lake, Brookings County, SD Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)
  8. ↑ Aurora Prairie Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)
  9. ↑ Brookings Prairie Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)
  10. ↑ Dakota Nature Park Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)
  11. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023" . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  14. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  16. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  17. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.

44°22′N96°47′W / 44.37°N 96.79°W / 44.37; -96.79

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.