Population 9,383 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rapid Valley
Household size in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.82 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.41 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Rapid Valley is a place of small households, averaging 2.27 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.69, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.6 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Rapid Valley is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 30.1, a much bigger shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.5 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.0% of households in Rapid Valley, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 9.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only two of the 22 South Dakota cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Rapid Valley
Renters in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Rapid Valley is largely a place of homeowners: only 15.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than a third of owners (36.2%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. No other South Dakota city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Rapid Valley than nationally: 6.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.3 points, mirroring the country. Rapid Valley has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of South Dakota cities.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1995 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +9 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Rapid Valley is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1995, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1991 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $917 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $970 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,019 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,368 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$451 | +$369 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rapid Valley pays $1,368 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in South Dakota as a whole ($1,000). Rent has climbed $451 a month since 2006–10, up 49%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.1% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Rapid Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.6% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.5 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rapid Valley have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 11.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.7% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.4% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.4% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.5% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Rapid Valley is above the national rate: 93.5% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of South Dakota. The share with a diploma has edged up 0.8 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Rapid Valley
| Period | Rapid Valley | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rapid Valley runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Even so, the rate is higher than in South Dakota overall (3.1%). Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Rapid Valley compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Valley | 2.27 | 39.5 | 6.0% | 15.4% | 6.7% | 1995 | $1,368 | 25.6% | 93.5% | 3.9% |
| Ashland Heights | 3.16 | 53.8 | 8.6% | 3.8% | 5.9% | 1961 | $1,248 | 13.3% | 97.3% | 22.7% |
| Box Elder | 2.82 | 33.1 | 12.6% | 37.9% | 9.4% | 1994 | $1,400 | 24.7% | 90.8% | 5.9% |
| Rapid City | 2.36 | 40.8 | 10.7% | 33.1% | 10.1% | 1983 | $1,199 | 37.0% | 94.8% | 2.9% |
| Sulphur | 2.62 | 43.3 | 14.7% | 35.9% | 2.8% | 2005 | $1,095 | 21.4% | 94.1% | 3.6% |
| Ellsworth Afb | 2.87 | 23.8 | 9.3% | 85.7% | 12.4% | 2005 | $1,643 | 33.3% | 96.1% | 3.2% |
| Farmingdale | 3.25 | 38.3 | 6.1% | 18.0% | 5.5% | 2004 | $1,384 | 23.4% | 87.1% | 3.6% |
| Caputa | 3.15 | 38.7 | 5.6% | 17.9% | 6.4% | 2000 | $1,287 | 25.0% | 88.8% | 3.0% |
| Black Hawk | 2.32 | 46.9 | 4.9% | 17.8% | 2.6% | 1990 | $1,178 | 24.2% | 97.6% | 3.7% |
| Summerset | 2.50 | 42.8 | 6.1% | 11.2% | 1.4% | 1995 | $1,139 | 29.6% | 97.2% | 3.2% |
| Johnson Siding | 2.34 | 56.0 | 5.7% | 7.5% | 23.0% | 1979 | $1,056 | 44.6% | 97.6% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Beverly Hills, MI · Whippany, NJ · Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA · Bohemia, NY · Bogota, NJ · Blue Ridge, GA · Bladensburg, MD · Blackstone, MA · Blacksburg, SC · Bithlo, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Rapid Valley. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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