Brookings, South Dakota
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Brookings is a city located in Brookings County, South Dakota, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,504. It is the county seat of Brookings CountyTemplate:GR, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher education in the state.
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History
The town is named for Wilmot Wood Brookings who was part of the Western Town Company, and oversaw construction of a road running from the Minnesota border, through present-day Brookings County, to the shores of the Missouri River.
Medary, the first substantive settlement constructed in the area, was organized in 1857. The location was among the first three non-native settlements in Dakota Territory. The City of Brookings formed just over four miles north of the Medary settlement when the railroad bypassed the existing townships (Medary, Oakwood, and Fountain), favoring a path between them as a compromise.
Employment
Major employers include (estimated employment):
- South Dakota State University: 1,650
- Daktronics, Inc.: 1,800, manufacturer of electronic signage
- 3M: 750
- Larson Manufacturing: 725, storm door manufacturer
- Rainbow Play Systems: 500, manufacturer of residential play equipment
- Brookings Hospital: 400
The unemployment rate in Brookings is 3.1 percent with a projected ten-year growth of 20.6 percent.
Geography
Image:SDMap-doton-Brookings.PNG Brookings is located at 44°18'23" North, 96°47'17" West (44.306253, -96.788105)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.1 km² (12.0 mi²). 30.9 km² (11.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.58% water.
Brookings has been assigned the ZIP code range 57006-57007 and the FIPS place code 07580.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 18,504 people, 6,971 households, and 3,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 598.4/km² (1,549.7/mi²). There were 7,359 housing units at an average density of 238.0/km² (616.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.49% White, 0.44% African American, 0.99% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,971 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.9% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 36.6% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,266, and the median income for a family was $49,246. Males had a median income of $31,276 versus $22,763 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,028. 18.5% of the population and 7.3% of families were below the poverty line. 12.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Unique aspects
The City of Brookings owns nearly all city services and utilities including:
- Liquor store
- Garbage service
- Water/wastewater
- Hospital
- Local telephone service
- Electricity
- Landfill
- Golf course
- Brookings Area Multiplex civic and convention center (recently renamed Swiftel Center)
In addition, the city-owned telephone company, Swiftel, operates as a Sprint PCS affiliate, providing mobile telephone service to much of the Interstate 29 corridor, running from the Iowa/Nebraska border, north to Watertown.
The city has 33 places of worship, 19 ballfields, two public swimming pools, five movie screens, one daily newspaper (The Brookings Register), and five commercial radio stations. In 2000, the assessed city value was $467,255,920.
On October 7, 2005, Brookings was featured on the reality-TV show Three Wishes.
Points of interest
External links
- Brookings government website
- Brookings Register - local newspaper
- Brookings Radio - local broadcast media
- South Dakota State University website
| Regions of South Dakota | Image:South Dakota state flag.png |
|---|---|
| Black Hills - Coteau des Prairies | |
| Largest cities | |
| Aberdeen | Belle Fourche | Brandon | Brookings | Canton | Ellsworth | Hot Springs | Huron | Madison | Mitchell | Mobridge | Pierre | Rapid City | Rapid Valley | Sioux Falls | Spearfish | Sturgis | Vermillion | Watertown | Winner | Yankton | |
| Counties | |
| Aurora - Beadle - Bennet - Bon Homme - Brookings - Brown - Brule - Buffalo - Butte - Campbell - Charles Mix - Clark - Clay - Codington - Corson - Custer - Davison - Day - Deuel - Dewey - Douglas - Edmunds - Fall River - Faulk - Grant - Gregory - Haakon - Hamlin - Hand - Hanson - Harding - Hughes - Hutchinson - Hyde - Jackson - Jerauld - Jones - Kingsbury - Lake - Lawrence - Lincoln - Lyman - Marshall - McCook - McPherson - Meade - Mellette - Miner - Minnehaha - Moody - Pennington - Perkins - Potter - Roberts - Sanborn - Shannon - Spink - Stanley - Sully - Todd - Tripp - Turner - Union - Walworth - Yankton - Ziebach |
