Brown County, South Dakota

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Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,301,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fourth most populous county in South Dakota, and was estimated to be 37,495 in 2024.<ref name="QF"/> Its county seat is Aberdeen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county is named for Alfred Brown, of Hutchinson County, South Dakota, a Dakota Territory legislator in 1879.<ref name="Legislative Manual 2005, p. 596" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Brown County is part of the Aberdeen, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Brown County lies on the north side of South Dakota. Its north boundary line abuts the south boundary line of the state of North Dakota. The James River flows south-southwest through the county; its entry point into neighboring Spink County marks Brown County's lowest elevation: Template:Convert ASL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The terrain of Brown County consists of rolling terrain, sloping to the south and east, largely devoted to agriculture.<ref>Brown County SD Google Maps (accessed January 30, 2019)</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.0%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 13th largest county in South Dakota by total area.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Dickey County, North Dakota - north
Sargent County, North Dakota - northeast
Marshall County - east
Day County - southeast
Spink County - south
Faulk County - southwest
Edmunds County - southwest
McPherson County - northwest

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Protected areas

Bodi State Game Production Area (part)
Casanova State Game Production Area
Columbia State Game Production Area
Cutler State Game Production Area
Diagonal Trees State Game Production Area
Elm Creek State Game Production Area (part)
Erickson State Game Production Area
Hansen Preserve State Game Production Area
Hart Quarter State Game Production Area
Hecla State Game Production Area
Jilek-Dahme State Game Production Area
Pigors Lake State Game Production Area
Putney Slough State Game Production Area
Putney State Game Production Area
Renziehausen Slough State Game Bird Refuge
Renziehausen State Game Production Area (part)
Richmond Dam State Game Production Area
Richmond Lake State Recreation Area
Richmond State Lakeside Use Area
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Zabrasha State Game Production Area

Demographics

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As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Brown County was $221,040.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 16,364 estimated households in Brown County with an average of 2.26 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $70,239. Approximately 10.0% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Brown County has an estimated 70.0% employment rate, with 33.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.7% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (93.8%), Spanish (2.7%), Indo-European (1.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (2.1%), and Other (0.5%).

The median age in the county was 37.8 years.

Brown County, South Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
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Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic)	Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 1990<ref name=1990CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>
White alone (NH)	35,852 (97.00%)	34,307 (96.42%)	33,715 (95.08%)	33,825 (92.59%)	32,705 (85.39%)
Black or African American alone (NH)	23 (0.06%)	44 (0.12%)	97 (0.27%)	187 (0.51%)	535 (1.40%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	826 (2.23%)	976 (2.74%)	954 (2.69%)	1,078 (2.95%)	1,103 (2.88%)
Asian alone (NH)	117 (0.32%)	139 (0.39%)	142 (0.40%)	353 (0.97%)	918 (2.40%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	—	—	26 (0.07%)	42 (0.11%)	44 (0.11%)
Other race alone (NH)	23 (0.06%)	3 (0.01%)	8 (0.02%)	17 (0.05%)	96 (0.25%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)	—	—	281 (0.79%)	533 (1.46%)	1,241 (3.24%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	121 (0.33%)	111 (0.31%)	237 (0.67%)	496 (1.36%)	1,659 (4.33%)
Total	36,962 (100.00%)	35,580 (100.00%)	35,460 (100.00%)	36,531 (100.00%)	38,301 (100.00%)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 38,301 people, 16,130 households, and 9,595 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 17,885 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 86.41% White, 1.48% African American, 3.13% Native American, 2.41% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.83% from some other races and 4.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.33% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 36,531 people, 15,489 households, and 9,374 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 16,706 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 93.23% White, 0.53% African American, 3.02% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from some other races and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.36% of the population.

Of the 15,489 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.5% were non-families, and 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 38.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,615 and the median income for a family was $58,683. Males had a median income of $37,997 versus $28,419 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,878. About 5.6% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.