The U.S. Census Bureau reports that South Dakota has a median household income of $64,994 and a somewhat cheap cost of living. But not every city in the state is as prosperous economically as another. In actuality, Rapid City is the one city that sticks out as being the poorest in South Dakota.
Rapid City: the Poorest City in South Dakota
Rapid City, the second-largest city in South Dakota, has about 77,503 people. It’s a gateway to the popular Black Hills, known for Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Despite being a tourist spot, Rapid City faces problems like poverty and low wages.
As of the 2020 American Community Survey, the typical household in Rapid City earns $49,609, which is 23.7% less than the state average. The poverty rate is 16.6%, 5.4 percentage points higher than the state average.
So, why is Rapid City having economic problems? One reason is that its economy relies heavily on tourism, hospitality, and retail, which often offer low-paying and seasonal jobs.
Another problem is the expensive housing, with the median home value at $209,900, 11.7% higher than the state average. Rent is $879, 18.5% higher than the state median.
Rapid City isn’t the only city in South Dakota facing poverty issues. Places like Hot Springs, Sisseton, and Vermillion are also among the poorest in the state.
The report used Census Bureau data to rank cities based on income, poverty rate, and unemployment. It also highlighted that South Dakota has high income inequality, with the top 1% earning almost 20 times more than the bottom 99%.
The Comparison of Rapid City With Other Cities in South Dakota
Rapid City is not doing well financially in South Dakota. It’s considered the 11th poorest city among 40 cities with more than 2,000 people. The city has a lower average income and a higher poverty rate compared to many other places in the state.
Some cities that are even poorer than Rapid City include Hot Springs, Sisseton, Vermillion, Winner, Mitchell, Mobridge, Flandreau, Brookings, Lead, and Chamberlain. On the other hand, there are wealthier cities like Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, Watertown, Pierre, Yankton, Brandon, Harrisburg, Tea, and Hartford.
Rapid City’s economic struggles are due to its reliance on tourism, hospitality, and retail. Additionally, the high cost of housing in the city contributes to its financial challenges.
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To Conclude
Rapid City is different from the rest of South Dakota when it comes to money stuff. Even though a lot of people visit because it’s pretty and has cool views, the city has some big problems like many people being poor, not earning much, and things costing a lot.
Rapid City is not the only place in the state dealing with these issues, but it’s hard for people there because most jobs don’t pay well and only last for part of the year.
Also, homes are getting more expensive. To make things better in the future, we need to make sure that everyone gets a fair share of money, make different kinds of jobs, and figure out ways to make housing more affordable in Rapid City.
