Brookings County, SD
Get paid to care for your family member in Brookings County, South Dakota
About 5,190 people in Brookings County are 65 or older — 14% of everyone who lives here. Brookings County skews younger than South Dakota overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 641 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Who needs care in Brookings
- People 65 and older
- 5,190
- People 85 and older
- 641
- Median age
- 28.4
- Rank in South Dakota
- 9th
14% of Brookings residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 66 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Brookings County is a smaller-city county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 5). South Dakota as a whole is 19% aged 65 or older.
What South Dakota pays family caregivers
$392/week
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: South Dakota Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
South Dakota's programs at a glance
- Structured Family Caregiving (HOPE Waiver)
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full South Dakota guide →
Towns and cities in Brookings County
South Dakota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Brookings and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Brookings County:
- Brookings24,555
- Volga2,380
- Aurora1,159
- Elkton778
- White554
- Bruce216
- Sinai100
- Bushnell74
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Brookings apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Brookings County start with South Dakota's program:
Call Dakota at Home at 833-663-9673 or your local DSS office; financial eligibility goes through DSS and the LTSS functional assessment through DHS at the same time.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which South Dakota program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Brookings questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Brookings County?
Yes. South Dakota runs real Medicaid programs — like Structured Family Caregiving (HOPE Waiver) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Brookings County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Brookings County?
Reported figures in South Dakota are around $392/week, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Brookings County apply?
Families in Brookings County start with the state, not the county. Call Dakota at Home at 833-663-9673 or your local DSS office; financial eligibility goes through DSS and the LTSS functional assessment through DHS at the same time.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Brookings County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for South Dakota: yes — spouses may serve as the paid SFC caregiver; caregiver and recipient must live in the same home
How many people in Brookings County might need this?
5,190 residents of Brookings County are 65 or older and about 641 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. South Dakota's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Brookings do you cover?
All of Brookings County — including Brookings, Volga, Aurora, Elkton and White. Eligibility is set by South Dakota, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from South Dakota's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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