Rapid City, South Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rapid City, SD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,197 | 907,403 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1109.9 | 11.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.09% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 26,438 | 365,533 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rapid City grew by 16.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 62,197 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rapid City is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.0% of residents. That is about the same share as South Dakota.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,700 22.0% on par
- Millennials 29–44 12,840 20.6% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,373 18.3% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,677 18.8% +1.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Dakota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.5% of the people living in Rapid City and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% South Dakota 49.6%
- Men 50.5% South Dakota 50.4%
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Economy
Rapid City has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,082 | $75,087 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.76% | 4.61% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rapid City is about 12% lower than in South Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $207,683 | $92,142 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,058 | $946 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.5% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rapid City is about 16.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,058 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rapid City spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 129 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.5 | 15.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.0 | 30.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 129 | 128 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,008 | $3,961 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,468 | 2,777 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,802 | 353 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Rapid City is 16 minutes, longer than the 15 minutes in South Dakota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Rapid City has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.1% | 28.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Health
Rapid City has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rapid City, South Dakota.
How big is Rapid City, South Dakota by population?
About 62,197 people live in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 26,438 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 38.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Rapid City, South Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Rapid City, South Dakota has 1,110 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 13 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rapid City, South Dakota?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($207,683 against $66,082), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,058 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Rapid City, South Dakota?
Unemployment in Rapid City, South Dakota is only 2.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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