Uprootmap
Bismarck vs Rapid City
Bismarck and Rapid City
Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.
Other cities
So you know: homicide deaths in Rapid City are above the US rate in this release, 7.6 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).
Why people look at Bismarck to Rapid City
IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Bismarck to Rapid City above the cutoff in 2022-2023.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,084 in Bismarck and $1,138 in Rapid City. Bismarck has a state tax on wages. Rapid City has no state tax on wages. Local pay in Rapid City is 88% of the national level for the same work, against 102% in Bismarck.
Rapid City averages 237 sunny days, with July highs around 86°F and January nights around 18°F. Bismarck is 196 sunny days, 82°F in July, 11°F in January. Commutes average 20 minutes in Rapid City and 18 in Bismarck.
These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.
−$10 / mo
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Bismarck → Rapid City pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between Bismarck and Rapid City changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 250 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,800–$3,400
- Container or pod
- $1,200–$2,300
- Rent a truck
- $500–$950
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Dig into Rapid City
Questions
Is Rapid City cheaper than Bismarck after tax and rent?
No. Rapid City leaves about $10 less a month, so the cost of living is higher there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,084 in Bismarck and $1,138 in Rapid City.
Does Rapid City have state income tax?
Rapid City is in South Dakota, which has no state income tax.
Did people actually move from Bismarck to Rapid City?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.