Building permits in Rapid City continue to increase, as July’s 286 permits are the most since 2021.
Twenty-nine of those projects were for single-family homes, which city data records as a four-year high in a single month.
The number of permits for single-family homes has already surpassed the total number issued in 2024 just seven months into the year.
Jasmine Berg is the local building permit tech at city hall.
“We’re at 120 single family homes, and last years total was 119 so we’re going to far surpass that," Berg said. "About 50 of those homes so far fall into the affordable housing category which is great. Something we’ve been wanting and needing."
This comes at a time of a sellers housing market, unfavorable rates, and high construction costs across the nation. At the same time locally, many describe a housing shortage in Rapid City that verges on crisis.
Last year, many of the homes that went up last year were in multi-family units like townhouses, apartments or duplexes. Berg says this year there are 50 new apartment units, which compares unfavorably to the prior two years that tallied hundreds of new units.
However, Berg said that highlights the shift in the local market.
“Are we going to reach that number this year? Probably not, no," Berg said. "It’s really declined with apartments which it was naturally going to anyway. We can only support so many buildings. That really gave the single family homes a chance to skyrocket.”
That all is complimented by the fact Rapid City is growing. Berg said it’s a simple formula to keep the city expanding.
“Jobs," Berg said. "Bringing in great places to work, good benefits. That’s what’s really going to keep people here.”
In total, Rapid City has issued well over $225 million worth of building permits on the year through July.