Rapid City CDP (Michigan), 2020
Rapid City’s story
128 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2020.
- 1898Rapid City is settled
Rapid CityMI
A town settled in 1898, now home to 1,328 people.
Population
1,328
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$361K
−0.3% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
50.1
years
Jobs based here
59
A commuter town
Is Rapid City a good place to live?
Rapid City’s average commute is 35 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Rapid City’s concentration of trails is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. We don’t grade Rapid City yet; the figures below are still real.
Small town
1,328 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Clearwater TownshipHelena TownshipMilton TownshipRapid City
Getting set up
Moving to Rapid City: who provides what
Rapid City is unincorporated, so Kalkaska County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKalkaska CountyKalkaska County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereClearwater Township ClerkClearwater Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4967649676 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rapid City.
Housing
Rapid City’s typical home value is about $361K
For households in Rapid City, the share who are owner-occupiers is 85%. The going rate for rent for Rapid City comes to $969 a month.
$361KZillow home value
| Rapid City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $969 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Rapid City$361K
Michigan$264K
−0.3%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Rapid City’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
Among working residents in Rapid City, 2.3% work locally. The top destinations are Traverse City (18%), Kalkaska Township (9%) and Garfield Township (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 17 miles away.
2%work in town
| Rapid City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rapid City2%
Traverse City18%
Kalkaska Township9%
Garfield Township7%
Clearwater Township7%
17 mi
median commute distance
59
jobs based in Rapid City
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in Rapid City: inland flooding
In Rapid City, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 31 of 100. 56% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 29%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Rapid City
Rapid City’s midsummer high comes in at 81°F.
132″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–31°
Spring32–54°
Summer55–79°
Fall40–58°
Oct 16
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Rapid City is
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Rapid City is ahead of Michigan on 2 and behind on 2. In Rapid City, 15% of adults report frequent physical distress.
| Rapid City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
2 better28 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Rapid City | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 8.7% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73.7% | 69% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.9% |
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
8.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Protected land: 0.5% of Rapid City
Count the trails in 4 parks and preserves and they come to 5.5 miles. Parks and preserves in Rapid City: 4, covering 68 acres.
0.5%conserved
0.5%
conserved · 19 of 3,508 acres
5.5 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit | — | 34 |
| 2. Freedom Park | 0.1 mi | 14 |
| 3. Heritage Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rapid City
16pages on Rapid City
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Rapid City; the nearest are
Northwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Traverse City15.3 mi$5,860 in-state tuitionKirtland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grayling33.1 mi$5,190 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids80.1 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Rapid City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Rapid City for work
Where Rapid City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
59jobs based in Rapid City
2%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Rapid City
Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Rapid City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kalkaska County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 1,357. Rapid City is located within Clearwater Township, and is about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Kalkaska.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 630 ft
- ZIP code
- 49676
Questions about Rapid City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rapid City, MI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Rapid City yet; the figures below are still real.