Pennington County · South Dakota · Midwest · 78k residents
Rapid City, SD: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Rapid City: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the South Dakota median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,149/wk. South Dakota's corporate income tax rate is 0%. Commercial electricity averages 10.5¢/kWh.
Compare Rapid City side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,149/wk
Corporate income tax
0%
Bachelor's degree or higher
37%
Commercial electricity
10.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Rapid City's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
35/100
Steady
Ranks Rapid City's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $299,400 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $185 |
| Property tax rate | 1.17% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $873/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,206/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 6.1% |
| Corporate income tax | 0% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,149/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 50.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $91,840 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $79,380 |
| Wage: General manager | $130,410 |
| Wage: Customer service | $38,520 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $37,150 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,110 |
| Wage: Electrician | $61,160 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $33,350 |
| Cost of living index | 88 |
| Groceries index | 96 |
| Utilities | $140/mo |
| Transit pass | $35/mo |
| Gas price | $3.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 96 |
| Childcare (per child) | $800/mo |
| Median household income | $70,870 |
| Unemployment rate | 2% |
| Population | 78k |
| Crime index | 42/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 79/100 |
| Avg. commute | 17 min |
| Sunny days / year | 210 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 16°F |
| Annual snowfall | 54 in |
| Home price YoY | +1.9% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +2.8% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.5% |
| Building permits YoY | -62.4% |
| Ocean coast | 950 mi |
| Big lake | 142 mi |
| Mountains | 22 mi |
| Major airport | 7 mi |
| Ski resort | 36 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Aberdeen, SD · 28k
- Mitchell, SD · 16k
- Yankton, SD · 16k
- Watertown, SD · 23k
- Brookings, SD · 24k
Similar size
- Sioux Falls, SD · 201k
Real listings in Rapid City
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Rapid City a good place to run a business?
- South Dakota's corporate income tax rate is 0%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,149/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Rapid City, SD?
- Rapid City indexes at 88 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,206/mo and a acs median home value of $299,400.
- How much does a house cost in Rapid City?
- The acs median home value in Rapid City is $299,400 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Rapid City?
- A two-bedroom in Rapid City rents for about $1,206/mo.