Home values and rents: available snapshot
Only one observation is stored for Rapid City, SD. A historical trend cannot be calculated from this snapshot.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- $374,117
- Source period: 2026-05-31
- Monthly rent index (ZORI)
- $1,408
- Source period: 2026-05-31
Stored snapshot: 2026-06-29. Source dates describe the underlying observations, not today’s market.
Quick Investment Calculator
Purchase
Monthly Cash Flow
* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.
Score Breakdown
Based on 4.52% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.
Based on 2.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.
Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.
Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.
Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.
Investment Outlook
Strengths
- +Low unemployment (0.0%)
Challenges
- -Below-average rent-to-price ratio (4.52%)
- -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$1,046/mo)
- -Negative leverage (cap rate 2.9% < mortgage rate 6.9%)
Counties in Rapid City, SD
Section 8 in Rapid City, SD: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.
Compare to Similar Metros
| Metro Area | Verdict | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Waycross, GA Waycross, GA | 72 | $174,474 | $1,025 | 7.05% | Buy | View | |
Maryville, MO Maryville, MO | 72 | $222,578 | Est. | Buy | View | ||
Auburn, NY Auburn, NY | 72 | $231,300 | $1,340 | 6.95% | Buy | View | |
Shawnee, OK Shawnee, OK | 72 | $195,990 | $1,134 | 6.95% | Buy | View | |
Tiffin, OH Tiffin, OH | 72 | $179,031 | $962 | 6.44% | Buy | View | |
Current Rapid City, SD | 52 | $374,117 | $1,408 | 4.52% | Hold |
Rent vs buy in this metro
The Bottom Line
The Rapid City, SD metro area scores 52/100, ranking #693 of 894 US metros (top 77%). The 4.52% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.