Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0Rapid City spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Rapid City’s city government spent $107.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,362 per resident. Water and other utilities ($13 million) and the airport ($10.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rapid City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Rapid City
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: rcgov.org ↗
Rapid City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on rcgov.org ↗.
About $1,362 per resident a year, or $3.73 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,289 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Rapid City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,289 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 150 South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $826, and the middle half spent $429–$1,298. Rapid City spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($14.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rapid City itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 6% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Rapid City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,289 · 2023: $1,199 · 2024: $1,362.
full-time in March 2025, up from 795 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,251 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% of the home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Rapid City’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Rapid City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rapid City →
One full-time city employee for every 88 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (78,824).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Rapid City School District 51-4
Rapid City’s K–12 school district, shared with Summerset. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,037 per pupil, $5,904 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.
Douglas School District 51-1 · $12,211 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rapid City’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rapid City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pennington County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.9%35,009 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.4%20,051 votesOthers: 2.7% (1,520 votes).
Most votes in Pennington County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Rapid City lies in Pennington County. Every 2024 race in Pennington County is on the county’s page.
Pennington County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Rapid City sends 10 representatives to the South Dakota House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorJason Salamunas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2South Dakota HouseRapid City is split between 5 districts
- 3South Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Rapid City compares with the towns next door
Rapid City spent $1,289 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $530. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | $530 | $4,019 |
| Rapid City | $1,289 | $3,251 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Rapid City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rapid City’s government
How much does Rapid City spend per resident?
About $1,362 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,289 was more than 74% of 150 South Dakota cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rapid City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,251 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.06% across South Dakota. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rcgov.org.
Who is the mayor of Rapid City?
Jason Salamun, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on rcgov.org.
How did Rapid City vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rapid City alone. Pennington County, where 100% of Rapid City lies, voted Trump 61.9%, Harris 35.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rapid City?
895 full-time and 513 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.8M (about $69.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rapid City in the state legislature?
Rapid City is split among 5 State House districts and 5 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Dakota Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rapid City’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →