Live-In Caregivers in Brookings, SD: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Brookings, SD: the local picture

282

residents 85 or older (1.2% of all residents)

1,184

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (63%)

57%

of Brookings homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Brookings County)

$11.85

South Dakota minimum wage per hour

About 282 Brookings residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 57% of homes in Brookings have three or more bedrooms (63% in Brookings County), while 16% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Brookings households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,184 own their home and 692 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 111 owners and 45 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Brookings compared with Brookings County and South Dakota

Census figure	Brookings	Brookings County	South Dakota
Residents 85 or older	1.2%	1.5%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	40%	32%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	33%	29%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	11%	8.8%	10%
Residents 65 or older	12%	13%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	11%	9.7%	7.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$53,482	$57,114	—

Older residents in towns around Brookings

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Madison, SD	26 mi	1,384	308
Pipestone, MN	32 mi	812	154
Dell Rapids, SD	33 mi	703	65
Watertown, SD	46 mi	4,553	615
Hartford, SD	48 mi	614	20
Brandon, SD	50 mi	1,627	228

Emergency hospitals near Brookings

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Brookings Health System	Brookings, SD	0.3 mi	4 of 5	(605) 696-9000
Avera Flandreau Hospital - Cah	Flandreau, SD	18 mi	not rated	(605) 997-2433
Hendricks Community Hospital	Hendricks, MN	23 mi	not rated	(507) 275-3134

Straight-line miles from the center of Brookings. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Brookings

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.15 an hour (the South Dakota median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,932 a month (88% of the $4,457 monthly median income of Brookings households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,213 a month (296% of the $4,457 monthly median income of Brookings households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. South Dakota's minimum wage is $11.85 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Brookings: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Brookings?

Brookings Health System in Brookings, about 0.3 mi in a straight line from the center of Brookings (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (605) 696-9000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Brookings?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.15 an hour (the South Dakota median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,932 a month (88% of the $4,457 monthly median income of Brookings households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,213 a month (296% of the $4,457 monthly median income of Brookings households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. South Dakota's minimum wage is $11.85 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Brookings?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Brookings it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Brookings

More senior care near Brookings

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Brookings

More for Brookings families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Brookings, SD