Population 37,877 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brown County
Household size in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Brown County are small: just 2.33 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.1 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.8 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.8 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Brown County are younger than 38.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has edged down from 39.6 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Brown County than nationally: 9.7%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of South Dakota. The single-parent share has risen 2.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Brown County
Renters in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.0% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.4% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Brown County is about as common as it is nationally: 32.4% of households rent, against 34.8%. About four in ten owners (38.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Brown County as nationally: 10.7%, against 9.6%. Brown County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five South Dakota counties.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +9 | +6 |
Housing in Brown County leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1964 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $525 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $656 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $741 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $856 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$332 | +$369 | +$606 |
Rent in Brown County runs $856 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $332 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 29.3% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Brown County
Bachelor's degrees in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.0% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.9% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.8% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Brown County (32.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.8 points, as it has nationally. Brown County has a higher share of college graduates than at least four in five South Dakota counties.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.1% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.7% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.2% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.5% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Brown County is above the national rate: 93.5% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. South Dakota as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.2% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Brown County than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 1.3 points, even as the national rate fell. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Brown County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 2.33 | 38.8 | 9.7% | 32.4% | 10.7% | 1973 | $856 | 32.8% | 93.5% | 3.4% |
| Edmunds County | 2.44 | 44.0 | 5.4% | 18.9% | 12.0% | 1968 | $1,076 | 28.9% | 92.1% | 1.3% |
| Day County | 2.26 | 48.1 | 10.7% | 25.4% | 25.2% | 1963 | $685 | 22.0% | 93.4% | 2.2% |
| Walworth County | 2.13 | 41.7 | 6.6% | 23.8% | 17.1% | 1966 | $865 | 27.0% | 91.8% | 3.2% |
| Big Stone County | 2.32 | 47.6 | 4.4% | 20.3% | 27.9% | 1957 | $759 | 26.0% | 93.8% | 1.6% |
| Stevens County | 2.40 | 34.3 | 5.7% | 36.6% | 7.8% | 1969 | $956 | 32.2% | 93.5% | 1.8% |
| Stearns County | 2.53 | 37.2 | 8.9% | 32.1% | 8.2% | 1983 | $1,133 | 29.1% | 92.0% | 4.3% |
| Sherburne County | 2.85 | 37.8 | 10.5% | 16.8% | 6.3% | 1995 | $1,370 | 30.5% | 94.7% | 3.0% |
| Isanti County | 2.62 | 40.8 | 10.4% | 16.3% | 6.3% | 1988 | $1,339 | 20.6% | 93.2% | 3.7% |
| Chisago County | 2.66 | 41.7 | 8.8% | 14.1% | 7.3% | 1990 | $1,252 | 24.8% | 96.0% | 4.3% |
| Polk County | 2.32 | 46.4 | 8.5% | 19.0% | 17.0% | 1982 | $997 | 24.3% | 94.0% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Polk County, MO · Coamo Municipio, PR · Sagadahoc County, ME · Rio Arriba County, NM · Coles County, IL · Colleton County, SC · Colquitt County, GA · Accomack County, VA · Laclede County, MO · Hatillo Municipio, PR
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Brown County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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