Rapid City, South Dakota Population 2023

79,989

Rapid City is a city located in Pennington County South Dakota. Rapid City has a 2023 population of 79,989. It is also the county seat of Pennington County.Rapid City is currently growing at a rate of 2.47% annually and its population has increased by 7.58% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 74,350 in 2020.

The average household income in Rapid City is $81,183 with a poverty rate of 14.28%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Rapid City is 38.1 years, 36.4 years for males, and 39.6 years for females.

Rapid City is a city located in the state of South Dakota. Its location at Rapid Creek is what led to its name.

Rapid City Population Growth

Rapid City has experienced steady growth throughout its history, although it did see a drop in its population at the time of the 1900 census. By 1920, the city’s population had accumulated over 5,000 people, and this number nearly doubled at the time of the 1930 census. By 1950, the city had over 25,000 residents. By 1990, the population exceeded 54,000. Recent estimates indicate that this growth will only continue, as the current count is up 9% from the last census taken in 2010.

Settlers originally came to what is now Rapid City in the 1870s after gold was discovered. In 1876, Rapid City was founded under the name “Hay Camp” and was promoted by miners as the “Gateway to the Black Hills.” Later that year, the site of the city was laid out around Rapid Creek. Six blocks were designated for a business center, which was used for selling supplies to miners and pioneers. By the 20th century, the city was becoming known as a regional trade center.

The city began to grow following World War I with the construction of highways and local efforts that lured in tourists. Mount Rushmore, a popular tourist destination to this day, was started in 1927 and was later completed in 1941. Throughout this period, the city was keeping the economy afloat through tourism through the Great Depression. However, the tourism industry declined following World War II, although the city still managed to get by due to war-related growth.

The Rapid City Army Air Base (later changed to the Ellsworth Air Force Base) resulted in significant population growth during the 1940s. By the end of the decade, city officials made a plan to expand the city with new schools, a civic center, and paved roads, leading to a construction boom during the 1950s. During the 1960s, growth slowed, but development picked up again in the 1970s after the Black Hills Flood killed hundreds and caused $100 million in damage. This led to significant development including the construction of a park, new homes and businesses, a civic center and Central High School.

In the 1980s, the Sioux people filed a lawsuit against the federal government stating that the Black Hills were stolen. The Supreme Court found in favor of the tribe and offered a monetary settlement, but the Sioux continued to push for the return of land including Rapid City. The dispute is still ongoing.

The city also continued to grow in the 1980s as tourism increased, primarily due to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, one of the most famous rallies in the world. Today, tourism remains a driver of the economy, although the city has also ventured into other economic sectors including technology, scientific research, and medicine.

Rapid City Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Rapid City was:

  • White: 78.83%
  • Native American: 9.29%
  • Two or more races: 7.85%
  • Black or African American: 1.4%
  • Asian: 1.33%
  • Other race: 1.2%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%
Land Area (mi²)
54.7 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,462.0/sq mi
Growth Rate
2.47% (1,926)
Growth Since 2020
7.58% (5,639)
The current population of Rapid City, South Dakota is 79,989 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 74,350.

Rapid City, South Dakota Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White58,29278.83%
Native American6,8709.29%
Two or more races5,8027.85%
Black or African American1,0371.4%
Asian9871.33%
Other race8851.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander690.09%
showing: 7 rows

White

Native American

Two or more races

Black or African American

Asian

Other race

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Rapid City Population by Race

Rapid City Population Pyramid 2023

Rapid City Median Age

38.1

Total

36.4

Male

39.6

Female

Rapid City Adults

There are 57,079 adults, (14,028 of whom are seniors) in Rapid City.

Rapid City Age Dependency

71.8

Age Dependency Ratio

32.6

Old Age Dependency Ratio

39.2

Child Dependency Ratio

Rapid City Sex Ratio

Female36,65749.58%
Male37,28550.42%

Rapid City Population by Age

Rapid City Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All30,7372.2961.838.2
Non Family13,7671.2846.153.9
Married12,7482.9784.315.7
Female3,1393.5640.859.2
Male1,0833.535842
showing: 5 rows

3.02

Average Family Size

2.29

Average Household Size

61.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Rapid City Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Rapid City Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Rapid City Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 46%.

Rapid City Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$37,075

Average Earnings

$41,043

Average Male

$33,155

Average Female

Rapid City Earnings by Educational Attainment

Rapid City Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Rapid City Language

95.56% of Rapid City residents speak only English, while 4.44% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 1.49% of the population.

Rapid City Language

Rapid City Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White55,3664,8558.77%
Native6,0133,42156.89%
Hispanic4,2261,25229.63%
Multiple5,6351,20921.46%
Black97025326.08%
Asian95117318.19%
Other87710912.43%
Islander692333.33%
showing: 8 rows

14.28%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.84%

Male Poverty Rate

15.71%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Rapid City

The race most likely to be in poverty in Rapid City is Native, with 56.89% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Rapid City is White, with 8.77% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.57%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.04%.

Rapid City Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade32.44%
High School15.65%
Some College12.27%
Bachelors or Greater3.07%
showing: 4 rows

Rapid City Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed41.88%
Male Unemployed39.33%
Female Employed7.92%
Male Employed6.2%
showing: 4 rows

Rapid City Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Rapid City Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Rapid City Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

44.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

44.9%

Male Marriage Rate

44.4%

Female Marriage Rate

Rapid City Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Rapid City Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Rapid City Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Rapid City Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

6,507

Number of Veterans

5,922

Male Veterans

585

Female Veterans

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Rapid City Veterans by War

count

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Rapid City Veterans by Age

count

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Rapid City Veterans by Race

Rapid City Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.28%

Veteran Poverty Rate

29.54%

Veteran Disability Rate

Rapid City Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

65.1%

Labor Force Participation

62.2%

Employment Rate

3.2%

Unemployment Rate

Rapid City Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Rapid City Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Rapid City Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

59.88%

Born in Rapid City

101.36%

Native Born

2.42%

Foreign Born

1.16%

Non Citizen

1.26%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

101.36% of Rapid City residents were born in the United States, with 59.88% having been born in South Dakota. 1.16% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Rapid City Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
19001,300-91,2833.36%
19103,8542,55411.48%
19205,7771,9234.13%
193010,4044,6276.06%
194013,8443,4402.9%
195025,31011,4666.22%
196042,39917,0895.29%
197043,8361,4370.33%
198046,4922,6560.59%
199054,5238,0311.61%
200059,6075,0840.9%
201067,956
201168,6316750.99%
201269,3066750.98%
201369,9816750.97%
201470,6566750.96%
201571,3316750.96%
201672,0066750.95%
201772,6816750.94%
201873,3566750.93%
201974,0316750.92%
202074,3503190.43%
202176,1841,8342.47%
202278,0631,8792.47%
202379,9891,9262.47%
202481,9621,9732.47%
202583,9842,0222.47%
202686,0562,0722.47%
202788,1792,1232.47%
202890,3542,1752.47%
202992,5832,2292.47%
showing: 31 rows

Rapid City Population by Year