Brookings County vs Pennington County
A side-by-side comparison of Brookings County and Pennington County: population, income, housing, and more.
Brookings County and Pennington County are counties in South Dakota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Pennington County has the higher population (112,081 vs 34,968 in Brookings County). Pennington County has the higher median household income ($70,768 vs $67,341 in Brookings County). Pennington County has the higher median home value ($270,400 vs $246,300 in Brookings County).
Population, income & housing
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,968 | 112,081 |
| Median age | 28.0 yrs | 39.7 yrs |
| Median household income | $67,341 | $70,768 |
| Median home value | $246,300 | $270,400 |
| Median gross rent | $874 | $1,066 |
| Housing units | 15,025 | 50,655 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 69.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.0% | 34.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,601 → 34,968 (+1.1%) | 110,685 → 112,081 (+1.3%) |
| Median household income | $58,136 → $67,341 (+15.8%) | $57,039 → $70,768 (+24.1%) |
| Median home value | $179,000 → $246,300 (+37.6%) | $187,800 → $270,400 (+44.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $750 → $874 (+16.5%) | $842 → $1,066 (+26.6%) |
Brookings County
34,60134,968
$58,136$67,341
$179,000$246,300
$750$874
Pennington County
110,685112,081
$57,039$70,768
$187,800$270,400
$842$1,066
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.7% | 6.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.4% | 16.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 24.4% | 8.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 13.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 11.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 10.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 14.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.9% | 12.5% |
| 75 and over | 5.4% | 7.1% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 87.9% | 78.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.7% | 6.3% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 1.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% | 6.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.3% | 5.5% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 3.3% | 5.3% |
| High school graduate | 23.1% | 27.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 29.7% | 33.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.2% | 21.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.8% | 12.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.1% | 77.6% |
| Carpooled | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Public transit | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Walked | 3.4% | 1.6% |
| Bicycle | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Worked from home | 10.9% | 9.8% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 1.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 58.3% | 62.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.4% | 5.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 14.3% | 9.5% |
| 20 or more units | 7.6% | 7.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.0% | 9.7% |
Poverty & households
| Brookings County | Pennington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 12.0% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.37 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 14 | 19 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1982 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in South Dakota
- Most densely populated — counties in South Dakota
- Highest median household income — counties in South Dakota
- Highest median home value — counties in South Dakota
- Most affordable home values — counties in South Dakota
- Highest median gross rent — counties in South Dakota
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in South Dakota
- Oldest by median age — counties in South Dakota
- Youngest by median age — counties in South Dakota
- Most college-educated — counties in South Dakota
- Highest poverty rate — counties in South Dakota
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in South Dakota
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in South Dakota
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in South Dakota
- Longest commutes — counties in South Dakota
- Shortest commutes — counties in South Dakota
- Largest households — counties in South Dakota
- Newest housing — counties in South Dakota
- Oldest housing — counties in South Dakota
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in South Dakota
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in South Dakota