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Brookings County assessor details 2025 assessment figures and methodology changes
Summary
The county assessor presented 2025 assessment figures, explained that the legal assessment date was Nov. 1, 2024, and described a methodological change to how ag outbuildings are valued to better match market sales.
Jacob (Assessor's Office) presented the county27s 2025 real-property assessments, permitting data and exemption summaries to the Brookings County Board of Equalization on April 8.
He reminded the board that assessments are based on property condition as of Nov. 1, 2024, and said the office mailed assessment notices on Feb. 11. The assessor reported that ag properties at the median are at 100% of market value under the statutory productivity valuation and that non-ag properties trended to about 88% of market using qualified sales, producing a taxable factor of about 95.7% for non-ag values.
On methodology, Jacob said the office historically used replacement cost new figures (Marshall & Swift) for structures and then depreciated for age and condition. “Historically, we valued all structures in the county based on replacement cost new,” he said. The assessor said the office previously applied a 50% negative factor to ag outbuildings; for 2025 that factor was changed to 85% and he intends to move that factor to 100% in a future cycle to align assessed values with market transactions involving acreage sales.
Jacob also reported county totals and how reappraisal and growth are recorded: reappraisal is value change from methodology updates (such as the outbuilding factor), while growth is new construction or changes in tax class (for example, ag to non-ag). He flagged active tax-increment financing (TIF) districts countywide and noted that value inside TIFs is not counted as allowable growth until a district dissolves.
On building permits, the assessor said total permits issued in the county were down about 140 from 2024 but that new-house permits were up by about 10, with roughly 125 new houses permitted countywide in 2025. He noted the data are used by school districts for budgeting and stressed the office will continue required annual and five-year investigations for continuing tax-exempt properties.
The presentation included figures used by taxing entities to set levies; Jacob reiterated that a countywide increase in assessed value due to reappraisal does not automatically translate into higher property tax bills for owners because levies are adjusted later in the budget process.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions, and the board proceeded to the subsequent agenda items after the presentation.
