Jury Pool Profile
Brookings County, South Dakota
- County seat
- Brookings
- Judicial district
- 3rd Judicial Circuit Court
- Population (July 2025 estimate)
- 37,635
- Census PEP. The five-year ACS survey average is 35,353.
At a glance
Brookings County is a 37,635-person venue. The county population is 88% White (Census race-alone categories). Median household income is $75,653, $1,841 below the SD state median of $77,494; 42.5% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 9.7% of residents 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, most commonly Spanish and German or other West Germanic. The largest employment sector is Manufacturing, at 22.0% of covered employment, average pay $78,749/year. Trailing-12-month unemployment is 2.15%, level with the 2.15% state average. The county carried the Republican presidential candidate in 2016, 2020, and 2024, taking 53% to 57% of the vote across the three.
- Population
- 35,353
- Median household income
- $70,064
- Unemployment
- 2.1%
Who sits on a jury?
≥70% White (race-alone) and <20% Black. This county: 88% / 1%.
Brookings County has a population of 35,353, with a median age of 28.0. By Census race-alone categories, White residents make up 87.9%; Black residents 1.1%. Independently, 4.6% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The median household earns $75,653; 42.5% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 10.8% live below the federal poverty line.
Economic context
BLS QCEW 'Manufacturing' is ≥15% of total covered employment. This county: 22.0%.
Manufacturing is the largest employment sector at 22.0% of covered employment, followed by Trade, transportation & utilities at 15.4%. Trailing-12-month unemployment is 2.15%, level with the South Dakota state average.
Political composition
Republican candidate carried this county in 2016, 2020, and 2024 (avg winning share: 55%). 'Strongly' threshold: ≥60% avg.
Brookings County was carried by the Republican candidate in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 cycles, with 57.4% in 2024, 54.9% in 2020, 53.2% in 2016.
Languages, households, faith & health
Family households are 50% of all households (thresholds: ≥70% = 'family-dominant'; 50–70% = 'family-majority'; <50% = 'singles/nonfamily-majority'). 9.7% of residents 5 and older speak a language other than English at home (threshold for 'linguistically diverse' is ≥10%).
9.7% of residents 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home. The most common are Spanish, German or other West Germanic, Russian, Polish, or other Slavic. Veterans account for 4.8% of the adult civilian population (1,332 individuals).