Should I Move To
Rapid City, South Dakota is a population of 75,632 . Cost of living is very affordable — 15% below the national average, with median rent around $975/month and median household income of $62,784. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 51/100 (grade C-), ranking #459 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Rapid City's composite cost-of-living index sits at 85 (US average = 100), placing it in the very affordable tier. At $975/month median rent against $62,784 median household income, residents spend about 19% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $244,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Rapid City has a varied climate — summer highs average 87°F and winter lows average 19°F, with 14 inches of precipitation annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Rapid City is a moderate fit for families. It earns a Score of 55/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (91/100), weakest on climate (11/100).
Rapid City is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 48/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (91/100), weakest on climate (11/100).
Rapid City is a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 57/100 (grade C) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (91/100), weakest on climate (11/100).
Rapid City is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 48/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (91/100), weakest on climate (11/100).
Rapid City, South Dakota has an overall UrbRank Score of 51/100 (grade C-), ranked #459 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Rapid City's cost-of-living index is 85 (US average = 100), so it's very affordable — 15% below the national average. Median rent is $975/month.
Rapid City has a varied climate. Summer highs average 87°F and winter lows average 19°F, with 14 inches of annual precipitation.
Rapid City has a Walk Score of 29/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown.
Rapid City has a population of 75,632, with 36% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 39.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Rapid City side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Rapid City ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Rapid City with other South Dakota cities scored on UrbRank.
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