Living in Rapid City, SD
Small city in South Dakota
Rapid City is a small city in South Dakota, home to about 77,000 people, with 122,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Rapid City a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $347k and rents for $1,740 a month
- Low taxes: no state income tax, 1.13% property tax
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 122,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Fewer graduates: 36% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Rapid City ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Rapid City: common questions
What is the cost of living in Rapid City?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $347k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,740 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Rapid City?
South Dakota has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 1.13% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Rapid City safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.9× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Rapid City?
Rapid City has cold winters: winter days average around 38°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 54″ of snow a year.
Does Rapid City get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, cold waves and hail: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.7 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Rapid City?
The nearest major airport is DEN, about 300 mi away.
How Rapid City scores
Each bar compares Rapid City with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Rapid City right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.