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Is Rapid Valley, SD a Good Place to Live?
Rapid Valley is a small town of 7,324 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $76,827 and a 3.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Rapid Valley stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Rapid Valley is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Rapid Valley city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 90.3Rapid Valley's overall cost of living index is 90.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Rapid Valley costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Rapid Valley, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $197,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,327 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 93.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $76,827 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageRapid Valley's violent crime rate is 656.6 per 100,000 residents — 73% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Rapid Valley, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Rapid Valley sees average highs of 36.0°F in January and 86.4°F in July, with 21.4 inches of annual precipitation and 48.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Rapid Valley, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 36.0°F |
| Average High — July | 86.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 21.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Rapid Valley, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,324 | — |
| Median Age | 41.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.6% | 16.8% |