Hagerstown-Martinsburg Rapid City

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Hagerstown-Martinsburg to Rapid City is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 94.2 to 89.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $88/mo.

-$3,077
BLS median salary lower in Rapid City
425 to 320
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.5:1 to 13.6:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$8,036
DOL infant care lower / yr in Rapid City

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 94.2 → 89.2
Rent Delta: -$88/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 5% lower cost of living
  • + $88/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 94.2 to 89.2, so each dollar covers more in Rapid City (ratio 0.95). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $88/mo ($1,056/yr) from $1,261 in Hagerstown-Martinsburg to $1,173 in Rapid City.

Rapid City leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Rapid City sits #230 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Hagerstown-Martinsburg is #159/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,077 lower ($64,224 → $61,147). Labor-market size: 100,850 tracked jobs at origin vs 68,240 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Dakota scores 73 (B, #7/51) vs Maryland at 46 (F, #45/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Hagerstown-Martinsburg
Rapid City
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 94.2
RPP 89.2
Rapid City
Rent (2BR)
$1,261/mo
$1,173/mo
Rapid City
Wages
$64,224
$61,147
Hagerstown-Martinsburg
Crime
425 per 100K
320 per 100K
Rapid City
Schools
14.5:1
13.6:1
Rapid City
Childcare
$14,631/yr
$6,595/yr
Rapid City
Environment
556 violations
1217 violations
Hagerstown-Martinsburg

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Maryland
46 F #45/51
Income tax
75
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
52
Destination state · South Dakota
73 B #7/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
64
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
70

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Hagerstown-Martinsburg to see what you'd need to earn in Rapid City to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Rapid City
-

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026