Home / Home Buying by state / South Dakota / Pennington County / Rapid City

Buying a home in Rapid City, South Dakota

The typical owner-occupied home in Rapid City is worth about $299,400, 16% above the South Dakota median of $257,400 and 10% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,251 a year in property taxes, about 1.09% of their home's value, close to the South Dakota rate of 1.06%. The median household earns $70,870 a year, so the median home costs 4.2 times the median income (3.4 times for South Dakota). 63% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 60% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Rapid City at a glance

Rapid City South Dakota U.S.
Median home value $299,400 $257,400 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,251 $2,724 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.09% 1.06% 0.94%
Median household income $70,870 $75,081 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 63% 69% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 60% 54% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,743 $1,680 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 22.6% 20.4% 21.0%
Median rent $1,109 $946 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 30.1% 25.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1979 1980 1980
Vacant homes 9.0% 10.5% 10.1%
Population 77,946 907,428 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Rapid City

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Rapid City home of $299,400 with 20% down costs about $2,008 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,507, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $86,056 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 34% of the median Rapid City household income of $70,870; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $247,000.

The median rent here is $1,109 a month, so owning the median home costs about $899 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$59,880
Loan amount$239,520
Principal and interest$1,611
Property taxes (1.09% a year)$272
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$125
PMI$0
Total per month$2,008

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$10,479
Loan amount$293,977
Principal and interest$1,978
Property taxes (1.09% a year)$272
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$125
FHA mortgage insurance$132
Total per month$2,507

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Rapid City

What is the median home value in Rapid City?

About $299,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Rapid City?

Homeowners pay a median $3,251 a year, which is about 1.09% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Rapid City?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,008 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $86,056 a year.

More about Rapid City

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data