METRO AREA
Rapid City Metro
Rapid City, SD · 3 counties · 156,934 residents (2025 est.) · 7,805 sq mi
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The short version
Rapid City is home to 152,950 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. The foreign-born share is 2%. Density works out to 20 people per square mile. The population is up 27% since 2000. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 105%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
152,950
+27%since 2000
from 120,093 in 2000
156,934 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
7,805 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024153K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(8,724)
5 to 96.1%(9,257)
10 to 145.8%(8,904)
15 to 196%(9,249)
20 to 246.1%(9,292)
25 to 3412.9%(19,748)
35 to 4412.3%(18,814)
45 to 5410.8%(16,520)
55 to 6414%(21,471)
65 to 7413%(19,861)
75 to 845.3%(8,045)
85 and over2%(3,065)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$75,129
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,314 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
50.1%
+26.5 ptssince 2009
from 23.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.9%
Wholesale trade9.9%
Retail trade5.9%
Other services5.7%
Finance & insurance4.5%
Public administration4.2%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.3%
Construction2.4%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
Education & health services1.1%
Manufacturing0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$308,001
+105%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $82,594 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.1
+30%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
77
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic87.3%(104,803)
Black0.9%(1,085)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(2,960)
Asian0.8%(928)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic79.8%(122,065)
Black1.2%(1,806)
Hispanic / Latino5.4%(8,207)
Asian1.1%(1,651)
Other12.6%(19,221)
43
+32%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
23
−15%since 2020
from 27 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(5,147)
Puerto Rican0.6%(923)
South American0.6%(679)
Central American0.3%(424)
Colombian0.4%(401)
Spaniard0.1%(229)
Honduran0.1%(209)
Peruvian0.2%(199)
Cuban0.1%(133)
Nicaraguan0.1%(113)
Panamanian0%(50)
Argentine0%(47)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(660)
Chinese0.2%(242)
Korean0.2%(231)
Burmese0.2%(171)
Japanese0.1%(159)
Bangladeshi0.1%(71)
Vietnamese0%(41)
Thai0%(37)
Asian Indian0%(22)
Indonesian0%(10)
Ancestry
German29.6%(45,284)
Irish13.2%(20,253)
English11.1%(16,954)
Norwegian7.9%(12,013)
American3.9%(5,939)
Swedish2.5%(3,868)
French2.5%(3,825)
Italian2.4%(3,741)
Polish2.4%(3,595)
Scottish2.3%(3,575)
Dutch2.2%(3,318)
Czech1.5%(2,278)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.3%(2,011)
Russian0.9%(1,344)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,226)
Welsh0.7%(1,100)
Finnish0.4%(628)
Swiss0.4%(613)
Greek0.3%(450)
British0.3%(446)
Hungarian0.3%(431)
Subsaharan African0.3%(427)
Canadian0.3%(417)
French Canadian0.3%(404)
Arab0.3%(395)
Austrian0.2%(294)
Ukrainian0.2%(272)
Lebanese0.2%(232)
Lithuanian0.2%(223)
West Indian0.1%(209)
Haitian0.1%(150)
Egyptian0.1%(120)
Portuguese0.1%(102)
Ethiopian0.1%(96)
Belgian0.1%(94)
Romanian0.1%(77)
Nigerian0.1%(74)
Syrian0.1%(73)
Latvian0.1%(69)
Turkish0%(69)
Slovak0%(48)
Jamaican0%(38)
Palestinian0%(37)
Iranian0%(34)
Slovene0%(26)
Iraqi0%(21)
Australian0%(21)
Croatian0%(21)
Kenyan0%(21)
Ghanaian0%(20)
Bulgarian0%(4)
Somali0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.7%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 87.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 76.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.0%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 91.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.6%(21,717)
Married52.7%(34,027)
Widowed3.1%(1,993)
Divorced10.6%(6,842)
Women 15+
Never married25.1%(15,456)
Married53.1%(32,623)
Widowed8.1%(4,987)
Divorced13.7%(8,420)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 16.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
6.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 6.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 34.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)32.3%(4,717)
Gulf War (1990s)30.3%(4,423)
Vietnam era32.2%(4,700)
Korean War2.5%(359)
World War II0.1%(13)
Share of the 14,583 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
Rapid CityCENTRAL80,589Box Elder13,936Rapid Valley6,975Sturgis6,922Summerset3,030Blackhawk2,934Colonial Pine Hills2,609Custer1,803Green Valley1,642Piedmont1,245Ashland Heights1,105Hill City938Wonderland Homes745Johnson Siding704Blucksberg Mountain692Wall668New Underwood594Hermosa370Faith347Keystone268Buffalo Gap155Pringle104Fairburn69Quinn61Wasta60Caputa27
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Rapid City
Jefferson City
Pop 152,712
Monroe
Pop 156,004
Chambersburg
Pop 160,652
Janesville
Pop 166,472
Places similar to Rapid CityHead to head
Compare Rapid City side by side
RAPID CITY VS
Jefferson City
Income$73,899−2%
Home value$215,872−30%
Population152,712−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPID CITY VS
Monroe
Income$77,335+3%
Home value$228,900−26%
Population156,004−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPID CITY VS
Chambersburg
Income$77,003+2%
Home value$249,800−19%
Population160,652+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPID CITY VS
Janesville
Income$75,673+1%
Home value$231,600−25%
Population166,472+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Rapid City, SD?
Rapid City, SD has about 152,950 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Rapid City, SD?
The typical household in Rapid City, SD earns about $75,129 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Rapid City, SD expensive?
In Rapid City, SD, the median home is worth about $308,001, and the typical rent is about $1,148 a month.
How educated are people in Rapid City, SD?
About 33.1% of adults age 25 and over in Rapid City, SD hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Rapid City, SD?
About 10.2% of people in Rapid City, SD live below the federal poverty line.
Has Rapid City, SD grown since 1990?
Yes, Rapid City, SD has grown since 1990. The population has added about 43,550 residents, a change of about 40 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024