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A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A
  2. Crime & Safety
    B
  3. Housing
    B+
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A
  6. Diversity
    B-
  7. Jobs
    A-
  8. Weather
    B
  9. Cost of Living
    A-
  10. Health & Fitness
    B
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A-
  12. Commute
    A
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Population
23,292

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$164,500
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$675
National
$949
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Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    51%
  • Own
    49%

Brookings Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    92
    283
  • Murder
    0
    6
  • Rape
    21
    41
  • Robbery
    4
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    184
    500
  • Theft
    1,226
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    150
    284

Residents

Diversity
B-
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$47,060
National
$55,322
Children
15%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    18%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    29%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    26%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    22%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Colleges
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Brookings Reviews

78 reviews
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I recently moved to Brookings when I enrolled as a student at South Dakota State University and I love the town! I come from Minneapolis, Minnesota so the size difference was a bit difficult to adjust to at first, but now I am so glad to live here. Brookings has the charm of a small town while still having many conveniences such as a Walmart, Hy-Vee, JC Penny's and various other stores and restaurants to ensure residents will have everything they could need. And for those looking for more options, Sioux Falls is a short car ride away! In addition, the people I have met in Brookings have been nothing but welcoming, and the town has truly come to feel like a second home.
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I've lived here my whole life, and likely will continue to do so. The public school system is amazing, especially the High School. They have a HUGE variety of classes for your children to take. There are Ten specific art classes! The Physical education course allows students to scuba dive, or take project adventure, which allows for (very safe) tightrope walking and zip lining. The town does not have much in the way of entertainment however. Brookings, being a college town, has an abundance of mediocre bars, and pizza places and nothing else. hopefully that will change in coming years, as Brookings is rapidly expanding, both in way of business and residential growth.
Brookings is the perfect college town! It is small enough that it feels homey, yet has all the amenities necessary. The downtown is cute and has a good nightlife. There is a large variety of bars to choose from as well as many cute boutiques to fulfill your shopping needs! For a small town, Brookings has plenty of food choices to choose from, so the small town is not limited in that aspect. Another positive aspect about small town living is the people are close knit so they strongly support the college students. I moved from a bigger city to Brookings expecting the small town life to be boring and for the people not to care about the college, however I was pleasantly surprised after living here for almost four months. Brookings is a family friendly town that truly develops a relationship with students who attend the college. I could definitely see myself living here after I graduate!