Rapid City, SD vs Bismarck, ND: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Bismarck, ND is 2.1% more expensive than Rapid City, SD (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Rapid City works out to about $76,600 in Bismarck, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is housing, which costs 15.8% more in Bismarck. Goods are 0.2% higher and other services 0.8% lower.
- Typical asking rent is $1,303 a month in Bismarck and $1,457 in Rapid City, $1,848 a year less in Bismarck (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $356,000 in Bismarck and $370,000 in Rapid City.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.9%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Housing drives the gap: 15.8% higher in Bismarck than in Rapid City
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 89.2 | 91.0 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 95.7 |
| Housing (rents) | 72.6 | 84.0 |
| Utilities | 79.1 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 91.2 |
| Category | Rapid City | Bismarck | Bismarck vs Rapid City |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 89.2 | 91.0 | +2.1% |
| Goods | 95.5 | 95.7 | +0.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 72.6 | 84.0 | +15.8% |
| Utilities | 79.1 | 75.0 | −5.2% |
| Other services | 91.9 | 91.2 | −0.8% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,457 | $1,303 | −10.6% |
| Typical home value | $370,000 | $356,000 | −3.8% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Rapid City | $75,000 | $76,600 | +2.1% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Rapid City and Bismarck has widened since 2008: 0.3 points then, 1.9 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 90.3 | 90.0 |
| 2009 | 90.4 | 92.0 |
| 2010 | 91.8 | 88.7 |
| 2011 | 86.9 | 89.6 |
| 2012 | 94.5 | 95.2 |
| 2013 | 93.3 | 95.9 |
| 2014 | 91.7 | 96.8 |
| 2015 | 89.7 | 93.6 |
| 2016 | 89.8 | 96.0 |
| 2017 | 89.3 | 91.1 |
| 2018 | 92.0 | 91.4 |
| 2019 | 92.4 | 94.2 |
| 2020 | 94.2 | 92.6 |
| 2021 | 92.0 | 94.1 |
| 2022 | 90.6 | 91.1 |
| 2023 | 90.3 | 89.4 |
| 2024 | 89.2 | 91.0 |
Goods
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 93.2 | 99.2 |
| 2009 | 94.9 | 97.4 |
| 2010 | 95.9 | 96.4 |
| 2011 | 95.8 | 96.2 |
| 2012 | 96.8 | 97.4 |
| 2013 | 96.8 | 97.6 |
| 2014 | 98.1 | 98.9 |
| 2015 | 97.7 | 98.3 |
| 2016 | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| 2017 | 95.1 | 95.5 |
| 2018 | 95.8 | 94.0 |
| 2019 | 97.8 | 96.6 |
| 2020 | 96.6 | 96.4 |
| 2021 | 93.8 | 94.2 |
| 2022 | 94.0 | 94.1 |
| 2023 | 97.4 | 97.0 |
| 2024 | 95.5 | 95.7 |
Housing (rents)
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 64.6 | 53.3 |
| 2009 | 63.8 | 64.1 |
| 2010 | 70.6 | 52.3 |
| 2011 | 53.4 | 62.7 |
| 2012 | 86.2 | 90.9 |
| 2013 | 79.9 | 90.7 |
| 2014 | 71.6 | 96.5 |
| 2015 | 67.1 | 81.3 |
| 2016 | 69.8 | 98.1 |
| 2017 | 69.3 | 74.9 |
| 2018 | 71.0 | 73.1 |
| 2019 | 72.1 | 82.3 |
| 2020 | 79.0 | 73.8 |
| 2021 | 76.5 | 91.8 |
| 2022 | 81.3 | 79.0 |
| 2023 | 76.9 | 75.7 |
| 2024 | 72.6 | 84.0 |
Utilities
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 82.3 | 78.9 |
| 2009 | 82.2 | 76.4 |
| 2010 | 80.8 | 77.0 |
| 2011 | 82.2 | 78.9 |
| 2012 | 83.0 | 80.6 |
| 2013 | 83.3 | 79.8 |
| 2014 | 80.0 | 74.9 |
| 2015 | 80.3 | 75.1 |
| 2016 | 80.3 | 73.6 |
| 2017 | 84.1 | 78.9 |
| 2018 | 91.2 | 86.3 |
| 2019 | 89.2 | 85.8 |
| 2020 | 90.0 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | 94.9 | 88.3 |
| 2022 | 89.7 | 88.2 |
| 2023 | 81.7 | 76.0 |
| 2024 | 79.1 | 75.0 |
Other services
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.5 | 100.0 |
| 2009 | 98.4 | 99.6 |
| 2010 | 98.2 | 98.4 |
| 2011 | 95.9 | 95.3 |
| 2012 | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| 2013 | 96.9 | 97.2 |
| 2014 | 96.1 | 96.6 |
| 2015 | 94.0 | 95.2 |
| 2016 | 94.1 | 95.5 |
| 2017 | 93.4 | 94.7 |
| 2018 | 96.8 | 95.8 |
| 2019 | 97.2 | 96.5 |
| 2020 | 98.2 | 96.3 |
| 2021 | 96.0 | 95.1 |
| 2022 | 91.6 | 92.5 |
| 2023 | 91.0 | 89.6 |
| 2024 | 91.9 | 91.2 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,303 in Bismarck vs $1,457 in Rapid City
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $932 | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $931 | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $925 | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $955 | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $965 | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $940 | $887 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $952 | $904 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $969 | $925 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $972 | $927 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $960 | $926 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $981 | $924 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $994 | $931 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,010 | $968 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,004 | $941 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,067 | $968 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,088 | $951 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,140 | $970 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,174 | $1,005 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,255 | $971 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,333 | $1,003 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,342 | $1,006 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,295 | $1,038 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,291 | $1,057 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,314 | $1,074 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,329 | $1,101 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,331 | $1,119 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,329 | $1,120 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,370 | $1,161 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,373 | $1,188 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,367 | $1,192 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,367 | $1,186 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,382 | $1,242 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,400 | $1,255 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,396 | $1,278 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,404 | $1,294 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,429 | $1,299 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,457 | $1,303 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $356,000 in Bismarck vs $370,000 in Rapid City
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Rapid City, SD
- Bismarck, ND
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Rapid City, SD | Bismarck, ND | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $186K | $254K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $188K | $259K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $191K | $261K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $192K | $260K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $195K | $260K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $196K | $258K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $197K | $255K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $199K | $253K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $201K | $253K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $204K | $254K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $206K | $254K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $209K | $254K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $212K | $253K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $213K | $254K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $216K | $254K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $218K | $252K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $222K | $253K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $225K | $255K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $228K | $257K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $233K | $258K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $238K | $258K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $242K | $259K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $246K | $263K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $255K | $266K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $265K | $269K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $280K | $277K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $294K | $284K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $305K | $289K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $324K | $297K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $342K | $304K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $343K | $304K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $343K | $307K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $341K | $306K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $345K | $312K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $348K | $316K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $348K | $316K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $351K | $317K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $353K | $320K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $356K | $323K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $360K | $328K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $362K | $331K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $362K | $334K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $363K | $338K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $367K | $345K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $371K | $350K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $369K | $352K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $370K | $356K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.