Cost of Living in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Rapid City, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 80,589
- Median household income
- $75,467
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 89.2
- Unemployment rate
- 2.8%
Is Rapid City a good place to live?
Rapid City is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 141 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Rapid City keeps $10,397 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living11% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,040 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Rapid City
Prices in the Rapid City, SD area run 11% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 27% below the US average.
- Housing27% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% below the US average
- Utilities21% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)8% below the US average
- All items11% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,040 | $12,480 |
| Food | $471 | $5,652 |
| Transportation | $373 | $4,476 |
| Healthcare | $324 | $3,888 |
| Utilities | $206 | $2,472 |
| Total before taxes | $2,414 | $28,968 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Rapid City | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $946 | $996 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,040 | $1,093 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,362 | $1,430 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,746 | $1,833 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,276 | $2,390 |
Living in Rapid City
How Rapid City compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Rapid City | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,467 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $344,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,210 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 34.4% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 37.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 37.1 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 18.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 10% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.3% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Rapid City, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Rapid City, led by Midco, Bluepeak, T-Mobile, CenturyLink. Fiber reaches 33.5% of homes and 59.5% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Rapid City
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 18.9 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 2.8%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $10,397 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 141 of 178 large cities.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 11% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
Cons
Nothing stands out against the US average in the data we track.
What your job keeps in Rapid City
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $46,270
- Federal income tax
- −$3,372
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,540
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,480
- Everyday costs
- −$16,481
a year, or $866 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Rapid City, SD. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Rapid City, SD area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $79,380 | $35,712 |
| Accountant | $79,270 | $35,636 |
| Police officer | $65,620 | $25,945 |
| Electrician | $61,160 | $22,361 |
| Teacher | $59,641 | $21,140 |
| Truck driver | $59,110 | $20,714 |
| Auto mechanic | $58,980 | $20,609 |
| Social worker | $56,244 | $18,411 |
| Carpenter | $48,640 | $12,301 |
| Nursing assistant | $38,500 | $4,154 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Rapid City on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Civil engineer $50,430
- Data scientist $47,511
- Dental assistant $11,666
- Dental hygienist $44,513
- Dentist $90,393
- Diesel mechanic $23,598
- Financial analyst $28,896
- Firefighter $11,916
- HVAC technician $22,578
- Lawyer $49,818
- Licensed practical nurse $15,178
- Lineman $46,857
- Mechanical engineer $46,124
- Medical assistant $5,913
- Nurse practitioner $67,169
- Occupational therapist $49,600
- Paralegal $18,794
- Paramedic $11,635
- Pharmacist $78,227
- Pharmacy technician $11,658
- Physical therapist $46,083
- Physician assistant $71,665
- Plumber $18,094
- Project manager $32,420
- Radiologic technologist $27,151
- Respiratory therapist $27,876
- Software engineer $44,478
- Speech-language pathologist $30,303
- Veterinarian $43,473
- Welder $14,752
Compare Rapid City with other cities
Compare Rapid City with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Rapid City
5 licensed interstate movers are based in Rapid City (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Rapid City, SD a good place to live?
Rapid City is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 141 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $46,270 and keeps $10,397 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Rapid City?
Prices in the Rapid City, SD area are 11% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,040 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,373 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Rapid City?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $33,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Rapid City, SD area earns $46,270.
What is the average rent in Rapid City?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $946 for a studio, $1,040 for a 1-bedroom and $1,362 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Rapid City at $1,210 a month (2024).
Does Rapid City have a state or city income tax?
South Dakota has no state income tax on wages. Rapid City has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Rapid City?
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Rapid City, led by Midco, Bluepeak, T-Mobile, CenturyLink. 33.5% of homes can get fiber and 59.5% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate