Brookings County vs Meade County
A side-by-side comparison of Brookings County and Meade County: population, income, housing, and more.
Brookings County and Meade 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 30,297 in Meade County). Meade County has the higher median household income ($74,161 vs $67,341 in Brookings County). Meade County has the higher median home value ($274,800 vs $246,300 in Brookings County).
Population, income & housing
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,968 | 30,297 |
| Median age | 28.0 yrs | 37.0 yrs |
| Median household income | $67,341 | $74,161 |
| Median home value | $246,300 | $274,800 |
| Median gross rent | $874 | $1,150 |
| Housing units | 15,025 | 12,648 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 72.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.0% | 26.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,601 → 34,968 (+1.1%) | 27,717 → 30,297 (+9.3%) |
| Median household income | $58,136 → $67,341 (+15.8%) | $60,578 → $74,161 (+22.4%) |
| Median home value | $179,000 → $246,300 (+37.6%) | $190,500 → $274,800 (+44.3%) |
| Median gross rent | $750 → $874 (+16.5%) | $877 → $1,150 (+31.1%) |
Brookings County
34,60134,968
$58,136$67,341
$179,000$246,300
$750$874
Meade County
27,71730,297
$60,578$74,161
$190,500$274,800
$877$1,150
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.4% | 16.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 24.4% | 10.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 14.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 13.7% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 13.2% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| 75 and over | 5.4% | 5.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 87.9% | 85.7% |
| Black or African American | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.7% | 1.6% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 0.8% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% | 5.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.3% | 4.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| High school graduate | 23.1% | 28.2% |
| Some college or associate's | 29.7% | 39.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.2% | 20.9% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.8% | 5.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.1% | 77.0% |
| Carpooled | 8.6% | 9.0% |
| Public transit | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Walked | 3.4% | 4.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 10.9% | 7.1% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 1.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 58.3% | 69.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.4% | 7.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 14.3% | 3.5% |
| 20 or more units | 7.6% | 2.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.0% | 13.1% |
Poverty & households
| Brookings County | Meade County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 7.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.47 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 14 | 21 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1989 |
Full profiles
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