Brule County, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Brule County, SD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 80% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Brule County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,283 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.2 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.07% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.7 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,955 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Brule County grew by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,283 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Brule County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 2.3 points above South Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,033 19.5% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 930 17.6% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,097 20.8% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 976 18.5% +1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Dakota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Brule County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 49.7% South Dakota 50.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Brule County
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Economy
Brule County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Brule County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,237 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.82% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.5% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Brule County is about 2% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Brule County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $39,062 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $835 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.4% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Brule County is about 3.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $835 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Brule County spend about 22 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 93 hours, about 3.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Brule County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.2 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 22.4 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 93 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,890 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.4% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,950 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 368 | 353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Dakota:
Jones County (6.7 min), Bennett County (7.5 min), Jackson County (7.8 min).
Slowest:
Custer County (25.5 min), McCook County (25.4 min), Turner County (23.1 min).
The average commute time in Brule County is 11 minutes, shorter than the 15 minutes in South Dakota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Brule County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Brule County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Dakota:
Clay County (0.4), Lincoln County (0.3), Stanley County (0.3).
Lowest:
Buffalo County (0.1), Mellette County (0.2), Oglala Lakota County (0.2).
Health
Brule County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Brule County | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.0% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Dakota:
Brookings County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8), Clay County (0.8).
Lowest:
Todd County (0.7), Buffalo County (0.7), Mellette County (0.7).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Brule County, South Dakota.
How big is Brule County, South Dakota by population?
About 5,283 people live in Brule County, South Dakota, in 1,955 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Brule County, South Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Brule County, South Dakota has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 7% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Brule County, South Dakota?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($39,062 against $73,237), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $835 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Brule County, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Brule County, South Dakota is only 1.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Brule County, South Dakota?
23.5% of adults in Brule County, South Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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