Census place 4652980

Rapid City

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Rapid City city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Rapid City.

According to the 2025 estimate, Rapid City has a population of 80,589 and 1,439 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 14 covered South Dakota places are: median home value is $299,400, above the comparison median of $248,100; typical commute is 17.5 minutes, above the comparison median of 14.8 minutes; and median gross rent is $1,109, above the comparison median of $953. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$299,400
Above the comparison median of $248,100
typical commute
17.5 minutes
Above the comparison median of 14.8 minutes
median gross rent
$1,109
Above the comparison median of $953

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Rapid City's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
80,589
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.6%
Population estimate
Density
1,439/sq mi
56 sq mi land area
Median age
39.1 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$70,870
Median home value
$299,400
Median gross rent
$1,109
Bachelor’s degree or higher
37%
Typical commute
17.5 min
Drive-alone commute
76.7%
Public transit commute
0.2%
Walked to work
1.8%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
37.1%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
50.4%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
61.1%
Unemployed residents 16+
1.6%
Working from home
10%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
90.3%
Homes built 2020+
3.5%
Households without a vehicle
7%
Households with children
24.8%
Residents with a disability
16.4%
Residents without insurance
9.8%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Pennington County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
11
Fire declarations
5
Severe Storm declarations
3
Flood declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: RAPID CITY RGNL AP (6 mi from place center)
Average high
59.6°F
Average low
33.7°F
Annual rainfall
17.4"
Annual snowfall
48.5"

Month by month

A year in Rapid City.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

West Des Moines, IA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
74,224
Median home
$309,000

Cheyenne, WY

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
66,507
Median home
$333,700

Pocatello, ID

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
58,771
Median home
$271,000

Keep exploring

Compare Rapid City with West Des Moines