Signature · 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Brookings County, SD
Brookings County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 45.4% low-access.
- 45.4%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 4.4%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Brookings County, SD
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 45.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +23.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Edmunds County (+ 0.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Brookings County sits in the upper national band (45.4%, #276 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #276
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in SD
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Brookings County compares nationally
Brookings County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.4% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #276 most-affected nationwide.
Brookings County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Brookings County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (4 urban, 2 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 2 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Brookings County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in South Dakota, not a full county-board reprint
- Jones
Jones 100%
100 % low-access
- McCook
McCook 47.8%
47.8 % low-access
- Clark
Clark 46.3%
46.3 % low-access
- Edmunds
Edmunds 46.2%
46.2 % low-access
- Brookings
Brookings 45.4%
45.4 % low-access
- Spink
Spink 43.3%
43.3 % low-access
- Oglala Lakota 0
Oglala Lakota 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 31,965 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,496 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,257 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 35,353 |
| Median Household Income | $70,064 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 610 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.2% |
SNAP retailers in Brookings County
Brookings County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 22 authorized stores; Brookings holds 86% of them. 1 of the 3 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Volga.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Brookings | 19 | 3 |
| Volga | 2 | none |
| Elkton | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 12
- casey's 1694, brookings
- casey's 2198, brookings
- casey's 2419, brookings
- casey's 3810, volga
- cenex zip trip 63, brookings
- cenex zip trip 64, brookings
- corner pantry 19, brookings
- fast and fresh 1039, brookings
- flavor international grocery, brookings
- kwik star 1718, brookings
- schoons pump n pak north, brookings
- schoons pump n pak south, brookings
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 15455, volga
- dollar tree 4462, brookings
- lewis drug 12, brookings
Super Store · 2
- hy-vee food store 1039, brookings
- walmart 1538, brookings
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza sd009, brookings
Farmers' Market · 1
- brookings farmers market, brookings
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- elkton locker & grocery, elkton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- el tapatio, brookings
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 72149, brookings
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in South Dakota
One of 65 counties in South Dakota, 6 are shown here.
Compare Brookings County vs Aurora County → · All South Dakota counties →
Counties near Brookings County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Brookings County, both outside South Dakota so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside SD (45.4% here).
- Clermont County, OH · 45.4% low-access
- San Miguel County, NM · 45.4% low-access
- Calhoun County, FL · 45.4% low-access
- Bullitt County, KY · 45.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside SD (4.4% here).
- Comal County, TX · 4.4% SNAP
- Denton County, TX · 4.4% SNAP
- Williamson County, TX · 4.4% SNAP
- Stafford County, VA · 4.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
South Dakota among West North Central states
South Dakota ranks 1st of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (29.1%). Brookings County, at 45.4%, runs 16.3 pts above the South Dakota rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Brookings County, SD are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 46011. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.