Rapid City vs Cheyenne
The short version
- Rapid City is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 8% lower than in the Cheyenne area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $299,400 in Rapid City and $333,700 in Cheyenne.
- Households earn more in Cheyenne ($78,839 vs $70,870 median).
- Cheyenne has the warmer winter: January highs of 40°F vs 36°F.
- Cheyenne gets far more snow: 63 inches a year vs 49.
- Rapid City is growing faster: +7.8% since 2020 vs +1.7%.
Side by side
| Rapid City, SD | Cheyenne, WY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 80,589 | 66,507 |
| Growth since 2020 | +7.8% | +1.7% |
| People per square mile | 1,440 | 1,823 |
| Median age | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,870 | $78,839 |
| Median home value | $299,400 | $333,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.2× | 4.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,109 | $1,118 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.2 | 96.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 72.6 | 89.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,900 | $72,400 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 67% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.11% | 5.39% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.5 | 16.0 |
| Work from home | 10% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 8.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 13° | 40° / 18° |
| July high / low | 86° / 59° | 84° / 56° |
| Precipitation per year | 17 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 63 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 32 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 174 | 170 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 78.6 | 76.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 62% | 75% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.8% | +5.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.1% | +37.7% |
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: Rapid City: June and August to September. Cheyenne: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Rapid City weather by month and Cheyenne weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,900 in Rapid City and $72,400 in Cheyenne. Moving from Rapid City to Cheyenne, you would need about $81,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.