Rapid City, SD

Census Place

Add Comparison

2023 Population

76,836

1.59% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/AJohn Thune

Republican Party

US Senator

N/AMike Rounds

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

1.04% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

13.3%

1.19% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$65,712

4.66% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

37,724

1.53% 1-year growth

About

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Rapid City, SD are White (Non-Hispanic) (76.8%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (7.15%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (7.06%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.76%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (1.53%).

None of the households in Rapid City, SD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.2% of the residents in Rapid City, SD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rapid City, SD are South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (560 degrees awarded in 2023), Western Dakota Technical College (431 degrees), and National American University-Rapid City (307 degrees).

Most people in Rapid City, SD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Rapid City, SD was 2 cars per household.

United States South Dakota Pennington County, SD Rapid City, SD West South Dakota--Rapid City PUMA, SD

Population & Diversity

Rapid City, SD is home to a population of 76.8k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.32% of Rapid City, SD residents were born outside of the country (1.78k people).

In 2023, there were 10.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (59k people) in Rapid City, SD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.49k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 5.43k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

99.1%

2022 Citizenship

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rapid City, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rapid City, SD

White (Non-Hispanic)
59k ± 838
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
5.49k ± 688
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
5.43k ± 668

5.58%

Hispanic Population

4.29k people

5.58% of the people in Rapid City, SD are hispanic (4.29k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Rapid City, SD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Rapid City, SD.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,032 ± 1,350 people
Guatemala
2,803 ± 1,298 people
Ethiopia
2,418 ± 1,206 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Rapid City, SD was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 Rapid City, SD residents, followed by Guatemala with 2,803 and Ethiopia with 2,418.

Foreign-Born Population

2.32%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.78k people

2.31%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.75k people

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Rapid City, SD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Economy

The economy of Rapid City, SD employs 37.7k people. The largest industries in Rapid City, SD are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,558 people), Retail Trade (4,664 people), and Construction (3,455 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($93,571), Public Administration ($66,923), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($62,076).

Males in South Dakota have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,552. The income inequality in South Dakota (measured using the Gini index) is N/A, which is N/A than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

37.7k

2023 Value

± 1,625

1.53%

1 Year growth

± 5.94%

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rapid City, SD, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,237 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,042 people), and Management Occupations (3,535 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rapid City, SD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Dakota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

37.7k

2023 Value

± 1,625

1.53%

1 Year growth

± 5.94%

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rapid City, SD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,558 people), Retail Trade (4,664 people), and Construction (3,455 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rapid City, SD, though some of these residents may live in Rapid City, SD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

N/A

Median earning men ± N/A

N/A

Median earning women ± N/A

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($69,597), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($68,046), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,104).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($62,500), Public Administration ($58,864), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($49,692).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Dakota.

Y-Axis

2.37%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 450k people employed in South Dakota. This represents a 2.37% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.96%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Dakota.

Education

In 2023, universities in Rapid City, SD awarded 1,418 degrees. The student population of Rapid City, SD in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 2,912 male students and 1,797 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rapid City, SD are White (1,023 and 74.7%), followed by Black or African American (95 and 6.94%), Hispanic or Latino (76 and 5.55%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (53 and 3.87%).

The largest universities in Rapid City, SD by number of degrees awarded are South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (560 and 39.5%), Western Dakota Technical College (431 and 30.4%), and National American University-Rapid City (307 and 21.7%).

The most popular majors in Rapid City, SD are General Business Administration & Management (123 and 8.67%), Mechanical Engineering (84 and 5.92%), and General Civil Engineering (57 and 4.02%).

The median tuition cost in Rapid City, SD for a public four year colleges is $7,800 for in-state students and $12,200 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Rapid City, SD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 85.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 37.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 4,709 (61.8% men and 38.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 4,709 students enrolled in Rapid City, SD, 61.8% men and 38.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,316 records, of which 36.6% were women and 63.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Mechanical Engineering
76 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
46 degrees awarded
Chemical Engineering
42 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rapid City, SD was Mechanical Engineering with 76 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Rapid City, SD according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
560 degrees awarded
Western Dakota Technical College
431 degrees awarded
National American University-Rapid City
307 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with 560 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 736 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rapid City, SD, which is 1.08 times more than the 682 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,023 degrees mean that there were 10.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 95 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($15,390) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($4,536) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,060) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Measure

In N/A, N/A% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while N/A% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were N/A.

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

People in Rapid City, SD have an average commute time of 17.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rapid City, SD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

The following map shows all of the places in Rapid City, SD colored by their Median Household Income (N/A).

Error: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'label')

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$65,712

Median Household Income

± $2,841

N/A

Number of Households

± 0

The following chart displays the households in Rapid City, SD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rapid City, SD is from Rapid City, SD.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Rapid City, SD across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.4%)
Worked At Home (10%)
Carpooled (9.11%)

In 2023, 76.4% of workers in Rapid City, SD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10%) and those who carpooled to work (9.11%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

17.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rapid City, SD have a shorter commute time (17.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.79% of the workforce in Rapid City, SD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rapid City, SD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rapid City, SD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rapid City, SD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rapid City, SD (9.76k out of 73.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rapid City, SD is White, followed by Native American and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

89.4% of the population of Rapid City, SD has health coverage, with 44.2% on employee plans, 12% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 16% on non-group plans, and 4.17% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pennington County, SD see 913 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.87% decrease from the previous year (940 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1055 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 305 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Pennington County, SD.

913 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pennington County, SD

Primary care physicians in Pennington County, SD see an average of 913 patients per year. This represents a 2.87% decrease from the previous year (940 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Pennington County, SD in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In N/A, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in .

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, N/A were men and N/A were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.6%

Uninsured

44.2%

Employer Coverage

12%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

16%

Non-Group

4.17%

Military or VA

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rapid City, SD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Keep Exploring

South Dakota

State

Pennington County, SD