What BestPlaces Users Say about Rapid City
Rapid City, located in South Dakota, is a city known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. With its close proximity to popular attractions like Mount Rushmore and the Badlands National Park, it's no surprise that Rapid City is a popular destination for tourists and residents alike. However, living in this particular place may have its own unique challenges and benefits. Let's take a look at what some users have to say about their experience living in Rapid City.
According to user "Laura", who has been living in Rapid City for 3 years, the city offers a great mix of small-town charm and city amenities. She mentions, "I love the small-town feel of Rapid City, but at the same time, I have access to great restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options." Another user, "John", echoes this sentiment and adds, "The city has a strong sense of community and people here are very friendly. It's a great place to raise a family."
On the other hand, user "Mark" points out the downside of living in Rapid City - the harsh winters. He says, "The winters here can be brutal, with heavy snow and below freezing temperatures. It takes some getting used to, but if you're an outdoor enthusiast, you'll find plenty to do even in the winter." Similarly, user "Sarah" mentions, "The cost of living in Rapid City can be a bit high, but the beautiful scenery and outdoor activities make it worth it."
In summary, users seem to appreciate the small-town atmosphere, friendly community, and access to outdoor recreation in Rapid City. However, harsh winters and a slightly higher cost of living may be some drawbacks to consider. Nevertheless, it's clear that many residents have found a home in this charming city.
based on 31 ReviewsGet to know Rapid City with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Rapid City
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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