Brown County vs Lawrence County
A side-by-side comparison of Brown County and Lawrence County: population, income, housing, and more.
Brown 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.
Brown County has the higher population (38,079 vs 26,574 in Lawrence County). Brown County has the higher median household income ($70,239 vs $66,766 in Lawrence County). Lawrence County has the higher median home value ($310,800 vs $212,900 in Brown County).
Population, income & housing
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,079 | 26,574 |
| Median age | 37.8 yrs | 43.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $70,239 | $66,766 |
| Median home value | $212,900 | $310,800 |
| Median gross rent | $794 | $923 |
| Housing units | 18,009 | 14,545 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 63.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.2% | 34.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 2.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,915 → 38,079 (-2.1%) | 25,478 → 26,574 (+4.3%) |
| Median household income | $58,216 → $70,239 (+20.7%) | $52,641 → $66,766 (+26.8%) |
| Median home value | $166,800 → $212,900 (+27.6%) | $207,900 → $310,800 (+49.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $695 → $794 (+14.2%) | $761 → $923 (+21.3%) |
Brown County
38,91538,079
$58,216$70,239
$166,800$212,900
$695$794
Lawrence County
25,47826,574
$52,641$66,766
$207,900$310,800
$761$923
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.8% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.0% | 13.0% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.8% | 11.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 10.9% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 11.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.0% | 10.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 14.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 15.4% |
| 75 and over | 7.6% | 8.7% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84.8% | 89.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 4.2% | 2.3% |
| Asian | 3.0% | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.4% | 3.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| High school graduate | 30.4% | 27.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 30.1% | 33.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24.4% | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 8.8% | 11.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 79.6% | 79.2% |
| Carpooled | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Public transit | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Walked | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 6.5% | 6.0% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 61.9% | 61.8% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.6% | 5.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.3% | 8.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 12.1% | 6.4% |
| 20 or more units | 10.9% | 7.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 6.1% | 10.6% |
Poverty & households
| Brown County | Lawrence County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 11.8% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 2.16 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 13 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1974 | 1984 |
Full profiles
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