Brookings County vs Lawrence County
A side-by-side comparison of Brookings County and Lawrence County: population, income, housing, and more.
Brookings County and Lawrence County are counties in South Dakota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Brookings County has the higher population (34,968 vs 26,574 in Lawrence County). Brookings County has the higher median household income ($67,341 vs $66,766 in Lawrence County). Lawrence County has the higher median home value ($310,800 vs $246,300 in Brookings County).
Population, income & housing
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,968 | 26,574 |
| Median age | 28.0 yrs | 43.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $67,341 | $66,766 |
| Median home value | $246,300 | $310,800 |
| Median gross rent | $874 | $923 |
| Housing units | 15,025 | 14,545 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 63.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.0% | 34.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 2.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,601 → 34,968 (+1.1%) | 25,478 → 26,574 (+4.3%) |
| Median household income | $58,136 → $67,341 (+15.8%) | $52,641 → $66,766 (+26.8%) |
| Median home value | $179,000 → $246,300 (+37.6%) | $207,900 → $310,800 (+49.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $750 → $874 (+16.5%) | $761 → $923 (+21.3%) |
Brookings County
34,60134,968
$58,136$67,341
$179,000$246,300
$750$874
Lawrence County
25,47826,574
$52,641$66,766
$207,900$310,800
$761$923
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.4% | 13.0% |
| 18 to 24 | 24.4% | 11.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 10.9% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 14.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.9% | 15.4% |
| 75 and over | 5.4% | 8.7% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 87.9% | 89.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.1% | 0.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.7% | 2.3% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.3% | 3.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 3.3% | 4.6% |
| High school graduate | 23.1% | 27.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 29.7% | 33.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.2% | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.8% | 11.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.1% | 79.2% |
| Carpooled | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Public transit | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Walked | 3.4% | 3.9% |
| Bicycle | 0.9% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 10.9% | 6.0% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 58.3% | 61.8% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.4% | 5.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.3% | 8.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 14.3% | 6.4% |
| 20 or more units | 7.6% | 7.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.0% | 10.6% |
Poverty & households
| Brookings County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 11.8% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.16 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 14 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1984 |
Full profiles
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