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Rapid City population estimate increases by 10,000 from 2020 census

Downtown Rapid City historic district
Creative Commons
Downtown Rapid City historic district

Rapid City officials most recent population estimates say the population within city limits has increased by nearly 10,000 since the 2020 census.

Teetering around 85,000, that’s a three percent increase from 2024, and an increase of about 13 percent from 2020.

The overall population for the Rapid City metropolitan area, effectively covering the Black Hills and rural western Nebraska and North Dakota, is hovering at or above 150,000.

With this growth has come challenges to the community, though, such as affordable housing and infrastructure demands.

C.J. Keene is a Rapid City-based journalist covering politics, the court system, education, and culture