Brookings is a medium-sized city located in the state of South Dakota. With a population of 24,312 people and five associated neighborhoods, Brookings is the fourth largest community in South Dakota. Brookings has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Brookings, where the median household income is $61,979.00.

Also of interest is that Brookings has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 10.05% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because Brookings has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Brookings lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Brookings is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Brookings people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.

Brookings, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Brookings spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 12.89 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.

Brookings is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 49.66% of adults in Brookings have at least a bachelor's degree. Compare that to the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor's degree or higher.

The per capita income in Brookings in 2022 was $31,799, which is lower middle income relative to South Dakota, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $127,196 for a family of four. However, Brookings contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Brookings is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Brookings home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Brookings residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Brookings include German, Norwegian, Irish, English, and Dutch.

The most common language spoken in Brookings is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.