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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Rapid City, SD

Population: 75,632 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

A
90/100

Excellent fiscal health — strong reserves, low debt, well-funded pensions

Total Spending
$970.2M
Per Capita
$12,828
Total Revenue
$2.2B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
23.6%$229.4M
Housing & Community Development
21.9%$212.6M
Utilities
19.5%$189.3M
Parks & Recreation
18.0%$174.6M
Public Welfare
8.1%$78.4M
Health
3.5%$33.7M
Interest on Debt
2.8%$27.1M
Highways & Roads
1.2%$12.0M
Fire Protection
0.7%$7.0M
Education
0.5%$5.0M
Hospitals
0.1%$1.1M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.1%$1.9M
Sales Tax
5.1%$111.9M
Income Tax
5.3%$115.9M
Intergovernmental
1.9%$41.7M
Charges & Fees
12.0%$263.2M
Other
7.6%$167.3M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$93/person
Highways & Roads$158/person
Parks & Recreation$2,308/person
Education$67/person
Health$446/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)97/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Rapid City stacks up against another city.

vs Sioux Falls, SD
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in South Dakota

Sioux Falls, SD

Pop. 193K

C
Total Spending
$2.5B
Per Capita
$13,114

Compare Rapid City With

Sioux Falls, SD

Spending: $13,114/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Rapid City, SD spends $12,828 per resident, based on total expenditures of $970.2M for a population of 75,632. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of A (90/100).

Rapid City, SD has total expenditures of $970.2M and total revenue of $2.2B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Rapid City, SD employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Rapid City, SD has a Fiscal Health Score of A (90/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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