Uprootmap
Fort Collins vs Rapid City
Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins to Rapid City
IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Fort Collins to Rapid City above the cutoff in 2022-2023.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,473 in Fort Collins and $1,138 in Rapid City. Fort Collins 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 97% in Fort Collins.
Rapid City averages 237 sunny days, with July highs around 86°F and January nights around 18°F. Fort Collins is 253 sunny days, 81°F in July, 11°F in January. Commutes average 20 minutes in Rapid City and 23 in Fort Collins.
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.
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Fort Collins → 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 Fort Collins and Rapid City changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 333 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,900–$3,550
- Container or pod
- $1,300–$2,450
- Rent a truck
- $550–$1,050
Explore more
Dig into Rapid City
Questions
Is Rapid City cheaper than Fort Collins after tax and rent?
Yes. Rapid City leaves about $672 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,473 in Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins 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.