Census-designated place · South Dakota
Lower Brule, South Dakota
Lower Brule, census-designated place, in Lyman County, South Dakota. Lower Brule had 703 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 743 (±113). GEOID 4639180.
Residents, 2020 Census
703
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 743 ±113
Median household income
$28,750
±$13,219 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081
Median home value
$21,900
±$7,642 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400
Median gross rent
$475
±$129 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946
Where is Lower Brule and what county is it in?
Lower Brule is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Lyman County, South Dakota. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 1,937 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Lower Brule, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 703 residents in Lower Brule, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 743 (±113).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Lower Brule is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Lower Brule | Lyman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 743 ±113 | 3,724 | −154 |
| Households | 135 ±32 | 1,188 | −80 |
| Average household size | 5.10 ±1.00 | 3.07 | +1.18 |
| Housing units | 177 ±35 | 1,553 | −60 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Lower Brule?
The median resident of Lower Brule is 22.9 years old; 34.7% are under 18 and 12.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 91.8%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 7.7%.
| Measure | Lower Brule | Lyman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.9 ±11.3 | 36.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 34.7% ±5.7 pts | 28.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.8% ±4.7 pts | 18.3% | – |
| Male | 49.5% ±6.7 pts | 52.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 7.7% ±1.5 pts | 57.1% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 91.8% ±1.6 pts | 39.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.9% ±5.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.9% ±3.1 pts | 5.1% | – |
| With a disability | 17.2% ±5.1 pts | 13.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 39.2% ±7.2 pts | 21.3% | +9.7 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.1% ±6.7 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.7% ±6.8 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.8% ±7.2 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.8% ±5.5 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.4% ±4.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Lower Brule earn?
Half of Lower Brule's 135 households earn less than $28,750 a year (±$13,219), against $67,143 in Lyman County and $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $32,636 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 55.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lower Brule | Lyman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $28,750 ±$13,219 | $67,143 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $44,811 ±$12,670 | $99,810 | – |
| Per capita income | $11,768 ±$3,222 | $37,079 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 55.8% ±11.9 pts | 23.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 54.7% ±17.3 pts | 30.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 43.7% ±12.6 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 82.2% ±9.3 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 59.3% ±13.4 pts | 82.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Lower Brule?
Owners occupy 23.0% of Lower Brule's occupied homes and renters 77.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $21,900 by its owner (±$7,642). The median renter pays $475 a month including utilities, and 33.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Lower Brule | Lyman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $21,900 ±$7,642 | $165,800 | −$15,021 |
| Median gross rent | $475 ±$129 | $651 | −$158 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.0% ±16.2 pts | 21.4% | no clear change |
| Owner-occupied homes | 23.0% ±10.1 pts | 69.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 77.0% ±10.1 pts | 30.1% | – |
| Housing units | 177 ±35 | 1,553 | −60 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±46.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 13.3% ±7.2 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.3% ±9.3 pts | 80.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.9% ±7.4 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 36.3% ±13.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Lower Brule work and get to work?
64.4% of Lower Brule's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 9.5 minutes.
| Measure | Lower Brule | Lyman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 42.5% ±11.0 pts | 57.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% ±5.5 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.4% ±15.9 pts | 73.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.4% ±8.7 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 5.4% ±8.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Walked | 3.0% ±3.8 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.0% ±10.2 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 9.5 min ±2.0 | 15.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Lower Brule?
No census tract lies mostly in Lower Brule; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9401Lyman County | 1,517 | $37,614 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Lower Brule) · Census block assignment files
How does Lower Brule compare with other places in South Dakota?
Lower Brule is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Lower Brule's figures with every place in South Dakota (CSV)
Every place in South Dakota, sortable · Compare Lower Brule with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Lower Brule?
20 of the 56 figures for Lower Brule on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Lower Brule are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.