Cost of living in Brookings research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Brookings is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Dakota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Brookings is 94, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Brookings is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Brookings ranks as the #10 cheapest in South Dakota out of 19.
Brookings ranks as the #1,806 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Brookings is $311,283.
The median income in Brookings is $61,979.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Brookings has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Dakota, Brookings has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than South Dakota's index of 88.
The standard of living in Brookings ranks as #10 most affordable out of the 19 places we measured in South Dakota. By definition, that implies Brookings ranks as the #9 most expensive place in the Mount Rushmore State.
For more reading on life in Brookings, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Brookings. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Brookings is 92.
The Groceries index in Brookings is 98.
The Health index in Brookings is 102.
The Housing index in Brookings is 96.
The Transportation index in Brookings is 93.
The Utilities index in Brookings is 83.
| Living Expense | Brookings | South Dakota | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 94 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 92 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 102 | 100 | 100 | |
| Housing | 96 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 95 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 83 | 89 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Dakota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Brookings is $311,283.
The Median Rent in Brookings is $862.
The Median Income in Brookings is $61,979.
The Home Value To Income in Brookings is 5.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Brookings is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Brookings | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $311,283 | $315,406 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $862 | $912 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $61,979 | $72,421 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.0x | 4.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.15x | 0.21x |
| Item | Brookings | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.29 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $9.36 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.4 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.32 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $35.22 | $45.56 |
| Item | Brookings | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.75 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.63 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.64 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.33 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.8 | $3.7 |
| Item | Brookings | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $135.1 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $177.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.21 | $113.29 |
| Item | Brookings | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.28 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $49.42 | $59.92 |
| Item | Brookings | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $141.67 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $194.04 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Brookings. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Watertown, SD has a cost of living index of 92, 1.0x Brookings.
Madison, SD has a cost of living index of 84, 0.9x Brookings.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Brookings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown, SD | 22,859 | 92 | 1.0x |
| Madison, SD | 6,158 | 84 | 0.9x |