Aurora Ballpark (c. 2008), 2008
Aurora’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1880Aurora is settled
AuroraSD
A town of 1,286, settled in 1880.
Population
1,286
2025 Census estimate · +22.6% since 2020
Typical home
$307K
+5.8% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
29.0
years
Jobs based here
71
A commuter town
Is Aurora a good place to live?
Aurora’s best subject grade is an A− for health; its weakest is a C− for walkability. 5.5% of residents are 65 or older in Aurora, below both South Dakota’s towns (19%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 1 of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Aurora. Aurora has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,286 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Aurora TownshipTrenton TownshipAurora
How Aurora grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Aurora is from typical.
HealthBrookings Health System 4.5 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 2.3 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 2.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$96K median household incomeBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →SchoolsBehind 60% of South Dakota districts on tests and graduationC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 29.0; 43% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Aurora: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aurora, and how to reach them.
PowerSioux Valley SW Elec Coop13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAurora water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Aurora’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBrookings County AuditorBrookings County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5700257002 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Aurora.
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Aurora is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Aurora beats the South Dakota average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 23% of adults binge drink in Aurora, above both the South Dakota town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 25% of adults have high blood pressure in Aurora.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Aurora | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 76% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
12 better9 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Aurora | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.3% | 3.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.5% | 6.8% |
| More binge drinkers | 23.2% | 18.8% |
Brookings Health System
4.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
More than half of Aurora’s working residents commute to Brookings
Most working residents leave Aurora for work: only 1% work in town. 2.7% of Aurora residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Aurora grew to 71 in 2023, 31 more than in 2013.
1%work in town
| Aurora | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 6.6% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Aurora1%
Brookings55%
Sioux Falls9%
Elkton3%
Watertown3%
6 mi
median commute distance
71
jobs based in Aurora
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 24% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Aurora
Aurora has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Aurora is 82°F.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–26°
Spring33–54°
Summer58–80°
Fall35–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Moderate risk in Aurora, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Aurora since 2019.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2019
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B
Aurora’s typical home value is about $307K
The typical Aurora home is worth about $307,000, up 5.8% in a year, close to the South Dakota typical home. Aurora’s median rent is $840 a month.
$307KZillow home value
| Aurora | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $840 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Aurora$307K
South Dakota$318K
+5.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 531 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aurora City Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Henry Buchholtz Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Aurora
18pages on Aurora
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Aurora
South Dakota State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Brookings5.4 mi$9,299 in-state tuitionInstitute of Lutheran TheologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Brookings5.6 mi
About 13 of every 100 Aurora residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Aurora for work
Where Aurora’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
71jobs based in Aurora
1%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Aurora
Town in South Dakota, United States
Aurora is a town in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,047 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,624 ft
- ZIP code
- 57002
- Area code
- 605
Questions about Aurora
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Aurora, SD expensive?
That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($70,064 across the Brookings, SD area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.