Don't let the name City deceive you. It's a Town!! - 4/3/2024

I have lived in this city for the last three and half years and I can't stand it!! Let me spell it out for you, but to be fair, let me give you the Pros first: Pros: 1) As a vacationist, you can enjoy the beauty of the Black Hills and nature as in general, on one time visit well planned, it will suffice. Unless you are a Biker and you come for the annual rally. 2) The city of "Presidents" as it is called, it's worth seeing it at least once, but don't think that you are going to be missing out if you don't. 3) I highly recommend visiting the Needle Hwy, it is worth a visit. But keep in mind that if you come closer to the winter, there are going to be areas closed for the season. 4) Due to the size of the area, the First Come First Serve Principle literally applies. So, plan your visit and/or vacation with as much time ahead as possible, even if it's a year ahead, and that's not exaggerating. Because this place always has some type of activities going on, and everything gets packed in no time, for the very reason that it is a small area. Don't wait for the last minute, because you can find one of two things: a) Nothing available/vacant. - b) If you find, let's say a hotel room, what it normally would cost you $160 per night, due to the season they are going to jack up the price to $1,000 per night, and Yes, you read that right and without exaggeration!! I know!! Cons: 1) The rental properties are owned by Slumlords in their majority. Yes, you read that right!! 2) People in this town smoke inside their units and leasing offices shrug their shoulders saying; "They shouldn't because it's against the rules. It is in the contract." And it ends there and they do Nothing about it!! 3) The PD shows up when they show up. I'm sorry about your luck if you need them right away, because it's not going to happen, and that, if they ever show up!! 4) Cost of living is High!! But the quality of living doesn't match the high prices which it sucks. So don't you dare to think that for the amount of money that you are going to pay on rent, it's going to compete with other cities where you literally get value for your money. No here, they want your money alright, quality, Ha! You gotta be kidding, you get what you get and you are lucky enough "if" you get it!! 5) The city is growing out of proportion due to the high increase of transplants from all over the country, especially from the West Coast. 6) There are casinos inside the city, which contributes to more crime and poverty. 7) Locals don't like the new transplants, because it has affected the economy not exactly for the better. If anything, it has increased the property taxes, and it has made it more difficult for those who live on a fixed income. 8) Locals are not the nicest people around. They only show apparent interest in you, enough to find out who you are and where you are coming from, but after their curiosity has been satisfied, they look at you, like if you stink, and/or they can't stand you!! 9) To my shock, this city is Sinkhole prone. Last year some streets had to be blocked because automobiles couldn't drive through it. The city and the Black Hills area as in general, it was built on the top of mines, so beneath are tunnels. So this area has what is called "Subsidence" issues. I have seen it with my own eyes twice, since living here in the last three and half years and it's not pretty. One in the area of Black Hawk and here in Rapid City a few blocks down from where I live. No, I'm not putting my hard earned money into a property in this area, because you don't know if a sinkhole would happen. Nope!! No thank you!! I'm good!!

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Black Hills are beautiful in summer. - 9/29/2021

Unless you made your pension out of state or already bought a home you can't afford to liver there. Rapid City is gray in winter.

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Title - 5/24/2021

I've lived in the city 5 years a loved it.

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update to previous post - 11/21/2020

I forgot to mention in my previous review, we spent quite a bit of time checking grocers in RC, esp organic and clean meats. There are 2 small locally owned organic grocers, quite expensive compared to what we pay in Denver metro. They do have 2 Safeways, that have an organic section, which was mostly comparable to what we are currently paying. For unusual items, we will have to go to the specially organic places. We found zucchini to be 'out of season' in several places, which we found odd as it was June. Pork chops were hard to find, and quinoa can only be found at specially organic grocers .

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small industrial city, Black Hills nearby - 11/21/2020

We visited RC June 2020 for a week for a possible move, have never lived there before, so don't have a comparison to previous times. We found plenty of restaurants (for us) , mostly chain, and downtown more locally owned, but expensive for great food. We would move to the Black Hills outside of RC, prices are not cheap, but less expensive than in CO where we currently live. The town overall is ok, quite a bit of industry scattered around, which is sort of an 'eye sore', but none spitting out tons of pollution nor oil rigs drilling nearby. Parts of the city are very hilly, other parts are flat, the more east part is flatter. We liked the Canyon Lake Park area around Chapel Hill. and Robbinsville Park in the south. They were expanding Omaha St in downtown so, major construction going on, so was chaotic and noisy. It will be better when that is done. We loved the neighborhoods in the foothills outside of RC, you just have to be able to afford them. We did notice a mall , Mt Rushmore Mall, (looked dead) but did not go inside, as we are not mall people. I think shopping centers are more the thing now. There is a Performing Arts Center and a Civic Center, but now closed for 'covid'. There are a couple of yoga studios and a nice size YMCA if those are your interests. We spent a day in Spearfish which has more restaurants, locally owned and great food, beautiful town. From what I've read Spearfish gets much more snow than RC, with Spearfish being on the northern edge of the Black Hills, it gets the full brunt of western and Canadian cold fronts.. We would be living there mainly for the Black Hills, low humidity, and conservative political climate. We are retired, so no need to find a good paying job.

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I nice city and area, but used to be better! - 10/24/2020

This used to be a most wonderful city, and in some ways still is, but it has really changed! I lived here for 4-years in the mid 1980s; admittedly this is not the best place to find/maintain a civilian job, but is surely a beautiful area to live! I returned for a visit in 1998 and found the are relatively unchanged, but then I returned again in 2019 and was in for a real shock! What happened?!? Most of the good 'ole restaurants and stores have left; we couldn't even find one really good place to eat! The only restaurant still there that I loved is Great Wall, and it was still good. But so many other great places there used to be- gone! The mall is also now basically a ghost town! The area right outside the Base also changed and was unrecognizable to me. Seems the town grew, but in the wrong ways! I had actually considered returning to live here (now retired) but housing prices are off the charts! Anything under $200K is either a real old shack or no basement! You have to get well into the mid $200K and up to find anything truly decent; even condos are high! Yet when you look at listings you see all these places selling like crazy too, so I don't know who has all the money! (job pay is low). All I can say is wow. I consider myself upper-middle class and can honestly say I'd have trouble affording living here now. (the 80's were a different story). I know it's a few years ago, but in 1986-1987 I was paying $235/MO rent including all utilities (1-bedrm. apt. on SE side off North St.) As far as people saying it's such a harsh climate, I thought it was mild compared to Wisconsin. I would say Rapid City weather is fast changing, but not that brutal. There are many breaks in winter with substantial warm-ups and snow rarely stays on the ground for long. There is the occasional bad blizzard, usually in the spring (but not every year) and occasional baseball-sized hail in summer which is why auto insurance rates are high there, but other than that many wonderful beautiful days to enjoy (for that matter, every place has its weather problems too). The people always seemed more friendly than not, and the town had a relaxed down-to-earth atmosphere. The only real minus I could ever see was there aren't any other cities of any size nearby. For anyone really considering living here who isn't from here, I would recommend spending about a week here first so you can really see for yourself.

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Isolated, yet cosmopolitan in regional impact. - 5/9/2020

I have lived in this small city for 50 years. Is it perfect...NO! However, you can't find a better place to raise a family. The isolation means fewer problems that plague other towns, and forces this town to do things found in larger cities. Public schools are actually great, with fine science and nation-leading music programs. Boring...perhaps.....if you don't like national parks, gorgeous surroundings, symphony and plays, nice bars, GREAT restaurants, etc.... The worst void is shopping facilities....the amazon effect has really hit here, but locals have no problem traveling to Denver or Minneapolis for a retail weekend. Slow but steady growth, with an ambitious view of its future, on balance, this is a great town.

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24/7 industrial cement plant noise and dirty roads - 12/15/2018

If you don’t mind continual humming noises 24/7 from the industrial cement plant and dusty air roads around town it’s the place for you.

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Not what is Cracked up to be - 5/27/2018

I am stuck here for now. Grant you the scenery is beautiful and not overly populated. Not a city a town. I can from the East Coast. I live in big cities. This is a right to work state that there should tell you all. It is who you know and brown nose on if you get to advance or keep job. They can fire you just because they don't like your shoes. Hard workers in this state are thrown under the bus for lazy workers. If these workers moved to another big city and not here they would be fired. They are slow, and don't know how to work. Hard workers get to do the lazy ones job, oh and don't speak up because that will get you fired if they are friends or brown nosers of the boss. Wages low, you never get ahead. City more worried about tourist then people who live here. Streets are deplorable unless they lead you to a tourist trap. Housing over priced for shacks. People drive horrible. Don't know how they got their license. Aggressive and worst then major city. They would be dead if they drove like that in a big city. People narrow minded. This city has not moved into the 21 century. Police are nice and helpful compared to other cities. I think South Dakota government corrupt. They don't care about education or special needs. One hospital and that stinks. People with major problems go to denver or minnesota Food high even though wages are low. Gas goes up as soon as tourist come. Jobs don't give 40 hours so no benefits and state won't give you nothing for medical no matter if dying. Rich care about the rich and that is it Crime bad for such a small place. Drunks and druggies rampant. Not safe in a lot of places. Nice parks but don't venture at night. beggars all over. People can be ignorant but not all If you don't mind slave labor and constant struggling than this is place for you. There is some good but mostly bad. Visit and leave Do yourself a favor

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Nice place to visit, but... - 3/14/2018

I lived in Rapid for a little over a year, but my extended family was from Sturgis. If it weren't for the rally, I'd rather live in Sturgis. Spearfish is also a great option. Rapid though is sketchy. Overall, it's a cute town, but there's more crime than appears on the service. According to national crime statistics, it's more dangerous than Sioux Falls, which is 3 times its size. It's also heavily based on the tourist industry. Meaning there's a considerable influx of people in the summer, which is both good and bad, and it empties out in winter. So in the summer, there's a lot to do between touristy places and the beautiful hills, but there's also wall to wall people and traffic. In winter, there's snow and cold and most tourist spots are closed, but the roads are empty and those tourist spots that are still open have no lines. Good jobs are scarce and even those don't pay as well as other states. Affordable housing is lacking and the homeless population is high. Rapid City Regional owns pretty much everything medical and the local paper airs their problems on a frequent basis. Research the Rapid City Journal for those issues. I will always visit the Hills because of the beauty and my own personal nostalgia, but I can't live there. The average person can't earn enough to buy a nice home, and although I agree with other reviewers that the downtown area is pretty neat (and the parks and bike path), it's not safe after dusk, and sometimes not even during the day depending on where you are. My recommendation: Visit Rapid and the hills for a long weekend. Stay at the Alex Johnson or other area hotels, drive the Needles highway and visit all the tourist sites (there are too many to name), eat downtown at one of the many great restaurants, and then leave. Few places are more fun to visit than the Black Hills, but there are a lot of places better to live.

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Its a city - has good points but no thank you - 1/22/2018

Well, I like smaller places and that's just becoming clear to me that I do better in smaller places. So its a city. There are pluses - its beautiful. Really is pretty and the downtown is fun and interesting and there's a lot to do...and its very easy to navigate. Like a nice big city but small town feel downtown. It has statues of the Presidents on every corner. And the really cool thing (at least when I was there) is that people put coats, hats, and etc on the statues for the homeless to access. They were good to their poor! Any city which is good to its poor, is ok in my book. But my life there was not too good by virtue of (please excuse me) being Catholic. I did not do well with the Catholic church there (even though I am Catholic). This caused some problems and I was not treated well in that area. One pastor (who is no longer there) was fairly good to me but the rest - I won't go on. Not positive. But perhaps if I'd not been in that religious system, it might have been ok. I also was getting over a divorce, had a lot to learn about living on my own, so I am sure I made some personal mistakes (honest mistakes - just small things - I am a very honest person - just had a lot to learn). It could be a good place for many people to live. But please be aware the Catholic church dominates - even the legal system! So if that's something that is a problem, be aware please. Otherwise, sure is a pretty area. Some good restaurants and I had a cute downtown apartment which was fairly affordable (I never got work here though), and a fairly decent landlord. So I would recommend it for some people - just not me.

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You will love it...or you will hate it. - 8/5/2012

West River is by far the beautiful side of the state. I am very blessed to have grown up here; the Black Hills are magical if you are an out door sort of person. Aside from the beauty, the people are kind but closed minded. The National average says the cost of living is cheap here but it isn't if you are middle class. It's quite difficult to find a job that pays more than $8.00 an hour. Most jobs are customer service jobs ( a lot of retail and fast food). Owning a home is cheaper than most other states but renting is pretty pricey. There isn't much for entertainment except movies, bar hopping, or being outside. Winters can be FRIGID and summers HOT. It's a decent place to live, low crime rate and pretty quiet. However, it's also like living under a rock.

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Rapid City SD living - 5/29/2012

4 distinct seasons. Nestled in the Black Hills, 25 miles from Mt Rushmore. Many tourists in the simmer. Winters can get a little long.

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Too High for the Wages - 2/4/2011

Rapid City is a beautiful area, with the Black Hills as a backdrop to any home you have in our area. However, you will pay a hefty price for such scenery, as the housing prices are high and the wages low. At the present time, be prepared to pay more than $150K for a "decent" home, and if you want a brand-new home (without a lot of frills, mind you), expect to pay over $200K. Mobile homes are very popular here, and for an obvious reason -- they are the only affordable option for the majority of our population. Subsidized housing is also available, but many places are sub-standard.

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Wow! What a bunch of haters! - 7/14/2010

Let me start by saying I have lived in and visited a lot of different places in my life, including big cities like Phoenix, Chicago, and New Orleans. So I am NOT some person who has lived in Rapid City all my life and thinks there is nothing else. I have lived here 8 years now and I think alot of your negative comments are crazy. Yes, people here tend to be conservative (as in most of the Midwest) but you wont get lynched for being a Democrat...I should know. And because there is not any big industry here, of course a lot of jobs are lower paying. Those things are true. But as far as no art here...what about Black Hills Playhouse, The Dahl Theatre, Black Hills Community Theatre, and numerous art galleries downtown?? No you are not going to find something like MOMA in Rapid City, but if you didnt find any kind of art or culture, its because you didnt try very hard. And sorry Adam, but not everyone is as bigoted as you would like to make it sound. Unfortunately there are some bigoted people around--as there are anywhere--but most people here are NOT like that. Rapid City all in all is a good place to raise a family and if you like outdoor recreation it is a great place to live (was chosen as one of Outdoor Magazines top 10 places). They are working to improve their downtown with the "Downtown Summer Nights" program with live bands, food, and activities for kids, a Pumpkin Festival in October, and 4th of July Fireworks in the park to mention a few. All I can say is what I would say to anyone, anywhere....if you are not happy where you are, work to change what makes you unhappy or move somewhere else!!! And BTW as far as all the rude citizens who supposedly live here....I have had a lot of family come from out of state to visit and nobody has ever failed to mention how NICE everyone here is. Maybe all the mean spirited people moved after writing on this forum!

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Rapid City - My take - 4/20/2010

Well Rapid City has it good points and bad points. I grew up not far from here so I know a little bit about it. I have also traveled around a lot so I should be able to give a fair opinion. GOOD: Rapid has nice weather compared to the rest of South Dakota. You still get the wind, snow, and cold but you will get those days in the middle of winter where it is in the 70's. The Black Hills are another good selling point. Being an out doors person I have to say there is no place on earth like the Black Hills. The hills are the main reason I moved here. BAD: The people...well I have mix feelings. I used to think Rapid had the nicest people but since I moved back three years ago I do not think that is the case. You will find nice people but I would say the majority of them are rude. I think this is partly because the middle class is so small. You have two extremes either poor or wealthy which mirrors the job market. You have two groups who are quite different so I think it causes some tension. Now the job market...low income and not a large variety of jobs that pay well. That pretty much sums the job market up. If you move here for a good job you better hope it has good job security because if it doesn't you might find yourself moving if you want to keep that same standard of living. Rapid just does have a lot of good paying jobs. For housing...I am just guessing but for the average level of income I would say housing is expensive. Its difficult to find a nice middle class neighborhood that is affordable. My biggest complaint about Rapid is the zoning. The zoning has pretty much kept Rapid a trashy town. I do think it has gotten better but it has a long way to go. Well I think I have highlighted more negatives and could probably keep going but Rapid isn't all bad. It really depends what you want in a city. For me I have a descent job I like the outdoors so I can overlook all the short comings the city has to offer. If you want to enjoy life in a city Rapid probably isn't the place. For city living in South Dakota I would suggest Sioux Falls. They have good dining, good shopping, and lots of nice people. I have lived both places and that is my take.

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Perfect example - 12/9/2009

I have the perfect example of what is wrong with Rapid City. Recently, I received an email in response to my previous post on the this website. Nate said to me, and I quote exactly here, "homophobes we are because there good for nothing go suck some ...." and he continued to say that "We are hard workers and your prob some !!! that sits on his coach all day. before you go dissin on hard working americans maybe you should shut your mouth." I say again, a perfect example of the average Rapid City resident. This is not to say everyone is like that, many are quite nice and indeed hard working.

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Sad. - 9/11/2009

I have lived in Rapid City almost 2 years. I had never been here before I moved here. I am from Oklahoma City, and had never lived anywhere else before I moved here. I thought I was from a smaller city. I had no idea what small was, till Rapid City. Let me start by saying Rapid "City" is not a city, more like a big town. They only have one of everything, one Wal-mart, one Target, and so on. People here are very closed minded, and don't really think anything of the outside world. I say outside world because the people that live and love Rapid City probably think that Rapid City is just like New York City. I have never seen such terrible driving in my life. Not only do they attempt to drive aggressively, they do it badly. Honestly, if you are going to cut someone off at least don't change your mind half way through. I like to say that they have attitudes similar to New Yorkers. Except what have they got to be pissed off about? There is no real traffic in Rapid City. All in all, I really don't like Rapid City, I don't like there people and I can't think of anyone I will miss when we leave! :)

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The gap between statistics and reality.... - 8/4/2007

I've been a full-time resident here for six years, and I'm astonished at how favorable the statistics on this web site make the city sound - partly because the stats don't include pay. As per a recent study, South Dakota has the lowest pay in the nation, so many persons must work two jobs to survive. Professional jobs are also in extremely short supply here, and I know many highly-skilled, experienced persons working as call center reps or in entry-level clerical jobs. Those considering moving here should also understand that Rapid City is extremely conservative, both politically and socially; the majority of residents harbor deep suspicions about - and even outright hostility toward - Democrats and New Agers. And no one should ever move here without realizing the profound impact the Sturgis bike rally has. Year-round, the biker mentality shapes and defines Rapid City, and each August, bike noise creates a loud roar, night and day, that goes on for 1-3 weeks. The bikers often travel in packs of up to twenty, and since they're often drunk,local residents drive with white knuckles for three weeks and pray this won't be the year they accidentally kill someone riding in their blind spot. Prospective residents should also check the Rapid City Police Department's web site for information on the crime rate, which is higher per capita than L.A., NYC, and Chicago. Having warned you about the negatives...on the plus side, prospective residents will find the Black Hills area has breathtaking natural beauty, mild winters, hot, sunny summers, and lots of wide open spaces.

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Rapid City - 5/10/2007

Obviously Russ, you haven't done your homework about Rapid City's Cost of Living. High cost of living? Ask any of the full-time RVers (I used to be one) what the clear choice for a low-cost home base is: South Dakota. Believe me, for 20 years of my life, I've had the pleasure of being assigned in many different areas of this great country. Expensive car insurance? I don't think so. SD is 48 out of 50 states for the lowest auto insurance. Renters and Homeowners insurance are among the lowest in the country. No State Income Tax. OK, we've got a Sales Tax and Property Taxes (which compare vary favorably (lower) with the rest of the country. We have a one time 3% Excise Tax on vehicles (pretty cheap as well). No, the jobs are the best paying but you just keep networking until you get it right. The people here are as nice as I've met anywhere. Plus, we have some of the most beautiful scenary around (can't put a price on that) The only distrubing trend that I see now is the out-of-staters (mainly big $$$$ Californians) buying cheap land and trying to over-develop the Rapid area. If you want over-development, go to Sioux Falls, Denver, or just about anywhere in CA. This used to be a best-kept secret, but I fear not for long. Tom Rapid City, SD

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