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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Rapid City Metro

Rapid City, SD · 3 counties · 147,392 residents · 7,805 sq mi
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The short version

Rapid City is a metro area of 147,392 people. 2% of residents were born outside the United States. The population is up 23% since 2000. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $201,291, having more than doubled since 2000. About 30% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.4
US median: 38.8
Average education
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 62%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
147,392
+23%since 2000
from 120,093 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
19 / sq mi
+23%since 2000
from 15 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
39.4
+12%since 2000
from 35.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
7,805 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
105K118K131K144K157K19902000201020202024Rapid City
2024153K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.8%(8,556)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(9,329)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.7%(9,900)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.2%(9,130)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(9,545)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413%(19,123)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.3%(18,092)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.5%(15,463)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.8%(20,378)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.4%(16,841)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.3%(7,789)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.2%(3,246)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$59,442
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,314 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,116
+72%since 2000
from $18,624 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
38.2%
+14.6 ptssince 2009
from 23.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade9.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services7.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade5.7%
US avg: 10%
Public administration5.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance5.1%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services1.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.9%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$201,291
+62%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $82,594 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$884
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $482 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
66.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2000
from 67.3% in 2000
33.5% rent
Persons per household
2.45 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.4
+7%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.3%(104,803)
Black0.9%(1,085)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(2,960)
Asian0.8%(928)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic78.4%(115,543)
Black1.2%(1,803)
Hispanic / Latino4.8%(7,087)
Asian1.2%(1,763)
Other10.9%(16,003)
Segregation Score
27
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
Mexican3.6%(5,335)
Puerto Rican0.5%(749)
Peruvian0.2%(338)
Spaniard0.1%(205)
Salvadoran0.1%(182)
Dominican0.1%(105)
Panamanian0.1%(87)
Cuban0%(23)
Colombian0%(17)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0%(11)
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(607)
Chinese0.2%(308)
Korean0.2%(272)
Japanese0.1%(202)
Asian Indian0.1%(88)
Burmese0.1%(82)
Vietnamese0.1%(71)
Thai0%(52)
Nepalese0%(26)
Laotian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(98)
Tongan0%(12)
Samoan0%(6)
Ancestry
German32%(47,746)
Irish12.7%(18,973)
Norwegian9.4%(14,021)
English8.9%(13,361)
American4%(6,019)
French3.3%(4,914)
Swedish3.1%(4,659)
Dutch2.9%(4,262)
Scottish2.2%(3,350)
Italian2.2%(3,310)
Czech2.1%(3,210)
Polish1.9%(2,833)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.6%(2,351)
Russian1.2%(1,723)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,283)
Welsh0.8%(1,218)
British0.5%(713)
Canadian0.5%(710)
Finnish0.4%(671)
Swiss0.4%(536)
Hungarian0.3%(427)
Greek0.3%(348)
West Indian0.2%(222)
Portuguese0.1%(195)
Slovak0.2%(186)
Arab0.1%(174)
Belgian0.1%(149)
Turkish0.1%(138)
Jamaican0.1%(131)
Austrian0.1%(117)
Lebanese0.1%(115)
Slovene0.1%(104)
Ethiopian0.1%(88)
Ukrainian0%(68)
Lithuanian0.1%(62)
Croatian0.1%(59)
Barbadian0%(42)
Armenian0%(34)
Romanian0%(29)
Nigerian0%(28)
Kenyan0%(20)
Serbian0%(17)
Egyptian0%(15)
Iranian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
30.1%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 23.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
93.9%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 87.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.6 min
+71%since 2000
from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
80.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 79.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.8%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 5.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
66.2%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 69.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
34.5%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
49.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
2.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2013
from 12.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
91.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
83.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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

Uninsured
11.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2013
from 12.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
51.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
16.7%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
20.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
6.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
70.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
34.1%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.5%(3,983)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)25.7%(3,725)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.7%(5,014)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6.2%(894)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.7%(253)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 14,469 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

Pennington CountyCENTRAL116,792Meade County30,711Custer County9,431
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 City
Head to head

Compare Rapid City side by side

RAPID CITY VS
Jefferson City
Income$73,899+24%
Home value$215,872+7%
Population152,712−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPID CITY VS
Monroe
Income$77,335+30%
Home value$228,900+14%
Population156,004−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPID CITY VS
Chambersburg
Income$77,003+30%
Home value$249,800+24%
Population160,652+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RAPID CITY VS
Janesville
Income$75,673+27%
Home value$231,600+15%
Population166,472+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rapid City, SD?

Rapid City, SD has about 147,392 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rapid City, SD?

The typical household in Rapid City, SD earns about $59,442 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 $201,291, and the typical rent is about $884 a month.

How educated are people in Rapid City, SD?

About 30.1% 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 12.4% 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 37,992 residents, a change of about 35 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →