Is Rapid City an expensive place to live?
The cost of living index is calculated based on accumulating the cost of food, transportation, health services, rent, utilities, taxes, and miscellaneous.
3,408/5,673 cities in the US
3/19 cities in South Dakota
Cost of Living compared to National Average
3/19 cities in South Dakota
Cost of Living compared to South Dakota
Cost of Living Comparison Calculator
Use our cost of living calculator to compare the cost of living between different locations and utilize our cost of living information to research living expenses in various areas.
Compare Locations
Assumptions Used to Calculate the Average Cost of Living in Rapid City:
House SizeTwo Bedroom AptEdit
Ownership vs. RentRentEdit
The crime rate in Rapid City is 3.71%. Crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population.
The violent crime rate in Rapid City is 0.64%. Violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported violent crimes (murder, robbery, and assault) by the total population.
The property crime rate in Rapid City is 3.07%. Property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported property crimes (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson) by the total population.
*The US National numbers are adjusted to be equivalent to Rapid City's population of 79,910.
Description: Rapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota after Sioux Falls and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western South Dakota, on the Black Hills' eastern slope. The population was 74,703 as of the 2020 census.
Known as the "Gateway to the Black Hills" and the "City of Presidents" because of the life...
How expensive is it to live in Rapid City?
Based on our Rapid City cost of living calculator, Rapid City is 10% less expensive than the national average and 8% more expensive to live in than the average city in South Dakota. This assumes a $72,000 annual salary and a 2 Bedroom Apt. Food costs in Rapid City are less affordable than average in the United States. Transportations costs in Rapid City are as affordable than average in the United States. Housing costs in Rapid City are more affordable than average in the United States. Health care costs in Rapid City are less affordable than the US average.
What does it cost to move to Rapid City?
The cost of moving to Rapid City depends on a lot of factors. The biggest factor is the difference in cost of living between the two locations, which can be determined using
ERI's cost of living calculator. The other major factor is the distance between the two locations.
What is a cost of living index?
A cost of living index is a broad measurement of the cost of different expenses expected by the average person living in a certain location. Some of the categories tracked include health care costs, transportation, housing, groceries, and more. These numbers are tracked in specific locations to gauge how much it costs to live in a certain area over time.
Another good way to interpret this general number is to ask the question, "How many goods and/or services does a specific amount of money purchase in a given location?" An easy example would be that $100 goes further in Reno, Nevada, than it does in San Francisco, California. The goods and services tracked are need-based, meaning entertainment and other incurred expenses not required to live in a certain area are not tracked.
The main purpose of a cost of living index is to help a person quickly decide if moving from one location to another will increase or decrease quality of life.
How did we calculate our cost of living index?
Cost of living data are derived from ERI's cost of living surveys and web digitization of public domain records. Data are comprised of health care, transportation, housing, and grocery costs, which are then averaged out across the county. On the graphs above, the "0" represents the country’s average. The percentage can either be lower, expressed by a negative number, or higher than the national average, expressed by a positive number. The important part to remember is the locations are compared to an average of other locations.
What is cost of labor?
Cost of labor may sound like cost of living, but it refers to the price of labor as opposed to the cost to living in a location. Cost of labor refers to all the upfront costs that an employer must pay when hiring work from a particular area. This factors in costs such as the payroll taxes and required benefits when hiring from a particular location. This number is displayed as a percent average higher or lower than the national average. To see the cost of labor data for a particular location, please fill out this
quote form with your location of interest.