Aberdeen vs Rapid City
Aberdeen, South Dakota versus Rapid City, South Dakota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Aberdeen and Rapid City score about the same overall (49 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Aberdeen | Rapid City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $45k |
| Home Value | $192k | $245k |
| Monthly Rent | $741 | $975 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.37% | 1.19% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.11% | 6.11% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.22% | 6.66% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 13°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 22.9 in | 20.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 42.7 in | 53.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 249 days | 262 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 74 days | 52 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.4 | 29.0 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 32.7 | 34.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1599/100k | 2359/100k |
| Property Crime | 1571/100k | 2760/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 28,388 | 75,632 |
| Median Age | 35.6 | 38.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.31 | 0.37 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | R+24 | R+26 |
| White (%) | 81.5% | 76.5% |
| Black (%) | 2.9% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.8% | 6.1% |
| Asian (%) | 4.5% | 1.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 14.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 12 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 8.7/20 | 8.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 258 mi | 301 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.8% | 87.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 25.01 | 25.65 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Aberdeen or Rapid City more affordable?
- Aberdeen has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with Aberdeen's $41k and Rapid City's $45k. Median rent is $741 in Aberdeen versus $975 in Rapid City.
- Is Aberdeen or Rapid City safer?
- Aberdeen has the lower violent crime rate. Aberdeen reports 1599/100k and Rapid City reports 2359/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Aberdeen or Rapid City?
- The median home value is $192k in Aberdeen and $245k in Rapid City, so homes are more affordable in Aberdeen.