Residential comparison · 13 facts
Rapid City, SD vs Sioux Falls, SD
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Rapid City needs about $85,500 in Sioux Falls to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sioux Falls, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Rapid City.
A few differences
- Sioux Falls is higher on median household income ($75,970 vs $70,870).
- Sioux Falls is lower on cost of living index (85 vs 88).
- Sioux Falls is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,060/mo vs $1,206/mo).
Rapid City vs Sioux Falls · facet by facet
| Facet | Rapid City, SD | Sioux Falls, SD |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $299,400 | $292,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,206/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.17% | 1.17% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 6.1% | 6.1% |
| Cost of living index | 88 | 85 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 96 |
| Utilities | $140/mo | $140/mo |
| Median household income | $70,870 | $75,970 |
| Unemployment rate | 2% | 2% |
| Crime index | 42/100 | 42/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 210 days | 210 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Rapid City, SD · Sioux Falls, SD
Questions & answers
- Is Rapid City cheaper than Sioux Falls?
- Sioux Falls has the lower day-to-day cost index (85 vs 88 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Sioux Falls equals $85,000 in Rapid City?
- A household earning $85,000 in Rapid City needs about $85,500 in Sioux Falls to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sioux Falls lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Rapid City.