Example household · Rapid City, SD · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

Billings skyline

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Rapid City vs Billings

Rapid City and Billings

Photo: Ron Reiring / Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0

Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.

Same pay in both cities. One adult, one bedroom.

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So you know: homicide deaths in Billings are under the US rate in this release, 4.7 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).

Why people look at Rapid City to Billings

IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Rapid City to Billings above the cutoff in 2022-2023.

A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,138 in Rapid City and $1,101 in Billings. Rapid City has no state tax on wages. Billings has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Billings is 91% of the national level for the same work, against 88% in Rapid City.

Billings averages 212 sunny days, with July highs around 87°F and January nights around 17°F. Rapid City is 237 sunny days, 86°F in July, 18°F in January. Commutes average 20 minutes in Billings and 20 in Rapid City.

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.

How we figure this

−$463 / mo

Money left after tax and rent, by state.Rapid CityBillings
LowerHigher
Billings · this breakdownRapid City · home

Who already made this move

The IRS did not publish a large enough Rapid City → Billings 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 Rapid City and Billings changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.

What the move itself costs

About 367 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.

Full-service mover
$1,950–$3,650
Container or pod
$1,350–$2,500
Rent a truck
$600–$1,100

Movers in Billings and how to hire one →

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Questions

Is Billings cheaper than Rapid City after tax and rent?

No. Billings leaves about $463 less a month, so the cost of living is higher there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,138 in Rapid City and $1,101 in Billings.

Does Billings have state income tax?

Billings is in Montana, which taxes wage income.

Did people actually move from Rapid City to Billings?

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.