Pueblo vs Rapid City
The short version
- Rapid City is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Pueblo area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $247,200 in Pueblo and $299,400 in Rapid City.
- Households earn more in Rapid City ($70,870 vs $56,664 median).
- Pueblo has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 36°F.
- Rapid City gets far more snow: 49 inches a year vs 28.
- Pueblo has more scorching days: 72 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 32.
- Rapid City is growing faster: +7.8% since 2020 vs -1.3%.
- South Dakota has no state income tax on wages; Colorado's top rate is 4.4%.
Side by side
| Pueblo, CO | Rapid City, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 110,404 | 80,589 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.3% | +7.8% |
| People per square mile | 1,950 | 1,440 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 39.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $56,664 | $70,870 |
| Median home value | $247,200 | $299,400 |
| Home value to income | 4.4× | 4.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,082 | $1,109 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.8 | 89.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.3 | 72.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,800 | $66,900 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 63% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 6.11% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 17.5 |
| Work from home | 8% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 2.6% |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 12.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 15° | 36° / 13° |
| July high / low | 93° / 61° | 86° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 17 in |
| Snowfall per year | 28 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 72 | 32 |
| Nights below freezing | 165 | 174 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 82.5 | 78.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 73% | 62% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.9% | +1.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +21.4% | +45.1% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Pueblo: May and September. Rapid City: June and August to September.
Full monthly tables: Pueblo weather by month and Rapid City weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,800 in Pueblo and $66,900 in Rapid City. Moving from Pueblo to Rapid City, you would need about $72,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.