Brookings, South Dakota SperlingViews

There are three main manufacturers in Brookings - 3M (their main medical plant), Daktronics (manufactures digital display systems), and Larson Manufacturing (storm doors and windows). These three companies employee roughly 3000 people (with many techically oriented positions), and are large contributors to the town's economy. SDSU is another large employer. Verasun (an ethanol plant) is located about 5 miles away, in the town of Aurora. Housing is reasonably affordable in relation to salaries, though there are numerous people who commute to and from Sioux Falls, the closest "big" city (of ~130,000 people) to take advantage of higher salaries while living in cheaper Brookings housing. There was a recent real estate uptick in 2004/2005 that drove prices up 20%-25%, but this was more of a normalization, not a bubble.

Overall, a fairly pleasant climate throughout the summers (though winter can be a bit slushy and icy). SDSU is a good influence on the town, as it brings many "cultural" elements to the towns population. The large employers also do a good job of sponsoring events, perhaps because they were mainly started by persons with very close ties to the community.

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Nice Midwestern Town - 4/16/2009

Nice Midwestern Town![read more...]

a nice small town but not for everyone. - 6/27/2007

i am originally from arizona, abandoned here by my ex husband. being a minority in the area is not the best idea as this city is slow to accept new comers to the area. Brookings citizens pride themselves as a friendly community but from my personal experiences here, there are critieras to be met. 1. must be a never swaying christian, 2. must have a norwegian or german background ( simply put you must look caucasian to some degree) and 3. lastly one is not fully accepted as a single parent as it an automated exclusion from the community. for things to do here, absolutely nothing considering it is a small farm town. during the summer months the area pool is open, students play all summer sports knowing that at winter sentences all community members to indoors only faced with months of isolation if there are no family or friends to visit.[read more...]

Economics, Housing, Misc. - 12/24/2006

There are three main manufacturers in Brookings - 3M (their main medical plant), Daktronics (manufactures digital display systems), and Larson Manufacturing (storm doors and windows). These three companies employee roughly 3000 people (with many techically oriented positions), and are large contributors to the town's economy. SDSU is another large employer. Verasun (an ethanol plant) is located about 5 miles away, in the town of Aurora. Housing is reasonably affordable in relation to salaries, though there are numerous people who commute to and from Sioux Falls, the closest "big" city (of ~130,000 people) to take advantage of higher salaries while living in cheaper Brookings housing. There was a recent real estate uptick in 2004/2005 that drove prices up 20%-25%, but this was more of a normalization, not a bubble. Overall, a fairly pleasant climate throughout the summers (though winter can be a bit slushy and icy). SDSU is a good influence on the town, as it brings many "cultural" elements to the towns population. The large employers also do a good job of sponsoring events, perhaps because they were mainly started by persons with very close ties to the community.[read more...]

clean town - 5/4/2006

Brookings has plennty of parks and is a nice clean town. Several nearby lakes offer good recreation and outdoor activities.[read more...]