Rents are right about where Brookings's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,286 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Brookings is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in October 2022.
Rent has risen 6 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($63,493) is $1,587 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,540).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Brookings. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Brookings, SD is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 47.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Brookings, SD has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Brookings, SD has shifted from $1,001 to $1,286, up 28.5% since 2023. Median household income climbed from $54,676 to $63,493 between 2021 and 2024, a 16.1% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Brookings, SD adding about 516 residents over the five-year window, up 2.2% on net. The renter share has risen from 50.4% to 52.3%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 49.8% to 47.5% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Brookings, SD reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Brookings on your salary?
At $1,286/mo, how Brookings rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Brookings rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Brookings. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Brookings
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Brookings is $1,286/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $760/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $920/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $760/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,290/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($63,493/yr), Brookings ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 9.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Brookings?
Is rent going up or down in Brookings?
How does Brookings rent compare to other cities in South Dakota?
At $1,286/mo, rent takes ~24% of Brookings's median household income ($63,493/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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