Brandon Valley High School, 2015
Brandon’s story
148 years in pictures
Census counts: 200 in 1950, 11,048 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
- 1878Brandon is settled
BrandonSD
A town of 11,306, settled in 1878. Public schools that outperform most of South Dakota.
Population
11,306
2025 Census estimate · +2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$393K
+2% in a year
Household income
$111K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
3,808
A commuter town
TownGrade
A+
#1 of 35 in SD
Is Brandon a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Brandon earns an A+, 1st of 35 graded towns in South Dakota. The median household earns $111K, its public schools beat 92% of South Dakota towns on state tests and graduation, and residents are healthier than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest mark, a B, is in cost of living. 32% of residents are under 18 in Brandon, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. No town among the 25 in South Dakota we compare has a lower violent crime rate than Brandon. The biggest park or preserve is McHardy Park, at 86 acres.
What makes Brandon stand out
Where Brandon beats most towns.
A growing town
Brandon has grown 29% since 2010
8,785 counted in 2010 and 11,048 in 2020; an estimated 11,306 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Brandon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Brandon is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →SchoolsAOpen →HealthAvera Mckennan Hospital & University Health Center 9.6 miles awayAOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard risktornadoes tops the listC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landBOpen →History2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market24 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.7; 42% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brandon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brandon, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrandon 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 Brandon’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 hereMinnehaha County AuditorMinnehaha County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5700557005 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 Brandon.
Brandon has schools in the top 5% of South Dakota, has less tooth loss than most of South Dakota and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
SchoolsA
Brandon earns an A for schools
Its A ranks #1 of the 35 South Dakota towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Brandon Valley School District 49-2. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brandon Valley High School - 01, with 1,381 students.
92%of SD districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Valley Middle School - 02Largest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 759 | A− |
| Brandon Valley High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,381 | A+ |
| Robert Bennis Elementary - 05Top results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 542 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Brandon earns an A for health
Its widest gap with South Dakota is tooth loss: 5.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.7% statewide.
21% of Brandon adults binge drink. Brandon beats the South Dakota average on 14 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9.6% of Brandon adults report frequent physical distress.
89%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Brandon | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 19% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
14 better12 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Brandon | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.5% | 6.7% |
Avera Mckennan Hospital & University Health Center
9.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
85th
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
A larger share of workers in Brandon work from home than in the typical South Dakota or U.S. town
Jobs based here grew from 2,575 in 2013 to 3,808. 18.8% of workers work from home, against 9.7% across South Dakota.
19% of workers work from home in Brandon. Since 2013, Brandon has added 1,233 jobs, to 3,808 in 2023. 1.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Brandon.
17%work in town
| Brandon | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 19% | 6.5% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $111,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 31% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Brandon17%
Sioux Falls60%
Sioux City1%
Rapid City1%
Brookings1%
9 mi
median commute distance
3,808
jobs based in Brandon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 47% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B
A typical Brandon home is worth about $393K
The typical Brandon home is worth about $393,000, up 2% in a year, 24% above the South Dakota typical home.
$393KZillow home value
| Brandon | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $976 a month | $958 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Brandon$393K
South Dakota$318K
Market temperature
24
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
+2%
value change, 1 year
25
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Brandon
Brandon has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 7° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–29°
Spring35–57°
Summer60–82°
Fall37–60°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Brandon
Brandon's reported crime rate is well below South Dakota's. Brandon’s property crime rate is 3.3 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brandon0.5
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brandon3.3
South Dakota14.3
U.S.15.5
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
36
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Tornadoes leads a moderate hazard risk in Brandon
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brandon since 2019.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2019
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB
Brandon has set aside 3.4% of its land for conservation
0.9 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The trail density in Brandon is 0.2 miles per square mile.
3.4%conserved
| Brandon | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 3.2% | 4.3% |
3.4%
conserved · 134 of 3,905 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aspen Park | 0.4 mi | 49 |
| 2. McHardy Park | 0.3 mi | 86 |
| 3. Big Sioux Recreation Area | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Pipestone National Monument and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brandon. Close and well known come first.
31 mi National MonumentPipestone National Monument77K visitors a year
10 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Plains Zoo
8 mi MuseumWashington Pavilion of Arts and Science
8 mi MuseumPettigrew Home & Museum30 mi MuseumPorter Sculpture Park
19 mi MuseumHinkly House MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pipestone National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Great Plains Zoo: Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pettigrew Home & Museum: Jerry from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hinkly House Museum: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brandon
20pages on Brandon
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 92% of SD districts · 4 schoolsSafety0.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than SD on 14 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingB$393K typical home · up 2% in a yearWork & commuteA+$111K median household income · 3,808 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 55% of U.S. communities · tornadoes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Brandon
University of Sioux FallsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Falls8.8 mi$21,750 tuitionKairos UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Falls8.9 mi$3,600 tuitionSoutheast Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sioux Falls10 mi$7,650 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Brandon residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
83% of working residents leave Brandon for work
Where Brandon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,808jobs based in Brandon
17%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Brandon
City in South Dakota, United States
Brandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. Brandon is located five miles east of Sioux Falls. The population was 11,048 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,355 ft
- ZIP code
- 57005
- Area code
- 605
Brandon’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Brandon.
Brandon TownshipSplit Rock TownshipBrandon
How the neighbors grade
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon · Brandon Township | #1 | A+ | B | — | A | A |
| Split Rock Township | #6 | A | C | — | A | A− |
Brandon and Split Rock Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Brandon Township and Brandon are one community, graded once. Compare Brandon with a neighbor →
Questions about Brandon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brandon, SD a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Brandon grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #1 of 35 in South Dakota. It grades A for health and A for schools.
Is Brandon, SD expensive?
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($82,754 across the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro 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.
What is Brandon, SD known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Dale Moss and Nancy Erickson.