akashic
1876–2024
Brookings·South Dakota

Brookings moved 12.5 points toward the Republican candidate between 2020 and 2024.

20082024·5 elections
SD
Brookings
TrumpR+17.4
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald TrumpRepublican57.4%2,040
Kamala HarrisDemocratic40.0%1,422
OtherAll other candidates2.6%92
D+60
R+60
1 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin.
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2008–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 2008 to 2024. Most recent: −17.4% in 2024.flipped R · 2012−17.4%DR20082024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
2008+13.1%
2012−3.3%
2016−8.1%
2020−4.9%
2024−17.4%
DemocraticRepublican
Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
40.0%Harris1,422
57.4%Trump2,040
2.6%
−17.4%
3,554
R
45.9%Biden4,178
50.8%Trump4,627
3.3%incl. Jorgensen
−4.9%
9,109
R
41.6%Clinton3,188
49.7%Trump3,808
8.7%incl. Johnson
−8.1%
7,663
R
46.7%Obama3,958
50.0%Romney4,234
3.3%
−3.3%
8,475
D
55.4%Obama4,979
42.4%McCain3,805
2.2%
+13.1%
8,984

Demographics

Demographic profile

Demographic Profile

Key indicators compared across containing geographies

Demographic Profile. Key indicators compared across containing geographies. ACS values are survey estimates and may include margins of error. Religion data may be available only at county or larger geographies. Sub-county values are labeled when inherited, modeled, or contextual.
IndicatorBrookingsCitySouth DakotaStateUnited StatesNation
Race & Ethnicity
White86.5%80.7%61.0%
Black1.2%2.2%12.2%
Asian4.6%1.4%6.0%
Two or more races4.4%6.5%12.6%
Other race3.3%9.2%8.2%
Hispanic or Latino4.2%4.8%19.3%
Income & Age
Median household income$63,493$75,081$84,427
Poverty rate16.9%12.0%12.5%
Median age24.738.239.1
Age 18–2424.6%9.2%9.2%
Age 65 and older13.4%18.0%17.2%
Education & Language
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)42.5%31.9%35.6%
Speaks a non-English language at home9.7%7.1%22.3%
Spanish3.5%2.6%13.6%
Other Indo-European1.9%0.4%2.0%
German or other West Germanic1.1%0.8%0.5%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic1.0%0.4%0.7%
Ancestry
Largest ancestryGerman 38.5%German 33.1%German 12.5%
2nd-largest ancestryNorwegian 14.4%Norwegian 10.4%Mexican 11.3%
3rd-largest ancestryIrish 10.4%Irish 9.9%English 9.5%
Religion
Catholic10.4%County context14.8%18.6%
Evangelical Protestant18.7%County context20.1%16.5%
Unaffiliated or unclaimed49.4%County context44.9%51.5%
Mainline Protestant19.4%County context18.0%5.2%

ACS values are survey estimates and may include margins of error.

Religion data may be available only at county or larger geographies. Sub-county values are labeled when inherited, modeled, or contextual.

2024 ACS
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the origins and ancestries reported within it.
Reported ancestry · ACS B04006
German
38.5%
Norwegian
14.4%
Irish
10.4%
English
7.4%
Dutch
5.0%
Swedish
2.4%
Danish
2.3%
American
1.5%
Detailed group · ACS B02015
Asian Indian
1.3%
Chinese
0.8%
Nepalese
0.6%
Filipino
0.4%
The ACS does not publish subgroup detail for people reporting two or more races.
Specific origin · ACS B03001
Mexican
1.6%
Puerto Rican
1.5%
Guatemalan
0.6%
Honduran
0.3%
Colombian
0.3%
Tribal grouping · detailed group · ACS B02020 · B02016
American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other single-race responses combined.
Aztec
0.5%
Reported ancestry · ACS B04006
African American identity is recorded by the ACS race question; the ancestry item enumerates specific African and Caribbean ancestries only.
Ethiopian
0.6%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Race shares: B02001 · B03003. Subgroup detail: B03001 (Hispanic or Latino specific origin), B02015 (Asian groups), B02020 · B02016 (American Indian/Alaska Native tribes and Pacific Islander groups), B04006 (reported ancestry). Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so group shares can total more than 100%. All subgroup rows are shares of total population; ancestry is self-reported and multiple-response, so rows do not sum to the parent group's share.
2024 ACS
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
90.3%
speak English only
Spanish3.5%
Other Indo-European1.9%
German or other West Germanic1.1%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic1.0%
Other languages0.8%
Chinese (incl. Mandarin & Cantonese)0.6%
Other Asian & Pacific Island0.4%
French (incl. Cajun & Haitian)0.2%
Tagalog (incl. Filipino)0.2%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
2020 religion census
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Mainline Protestant
19.4%
Evangelical Protestant
18.7%
Catholic
10.4%
Latter-day Saints
1.1%
Other Christian
0.5%
Muslim
0.5%
Unaffiliated or not counted49.4%
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. The unaffiliated-or-not-counted share is everyone not claimed as an adherent by any reporting body — uncounted congregations as well as the religiously unaffiliated.

Brookings sits in the Northern Plains. In 2024 it voted Republican.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 13.1 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 17.4 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 12.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 17.4 points.

A population of 23,948, a 87% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $63,493 describe the city.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Brookings, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/city/4607580/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did Brookings, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Brookings, South Dakota voted Republican by 17.4 points (R+17.4), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 3,554 votes cast, 1,422 went Democratic and 2,040 went Republican.
What is Brookings, South Dakota's political typology?
Akashic places Brookings, South Dakota in the "" typology. The typology is a data-driven cluster built from vote share, vote swing, race and ethnicity, income, language spoken at home, religion, and ancestry. Across 5 elections in the dataset, the city has voted Democratic 1 times, Republican 4 times, and other 0 times.
When did Brookings, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Brookings, South Dakota voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in Brookings, South Dakota?
Brookings, South Dakota has a population of 23,948 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Brookings, South Dakota?
Median household income in Brookings, South Dakota is $63,493 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of Brookings, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 5 presidential elections in Brookings, South Dakota from 2008 to 2024. Of those, 1 went Democratic and 4 went Republican. The city's typology — "" — captures where that record, its demographics, and its recent swing place it among American communities.