Lebanon → Rapid City
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Lebanon to Rapid City is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.2 to 89.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $238/mo.
- +$589
- BLS median salary higher in Rapid City
- 250 to 320
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.6:1 to 13.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
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.
Pros of Moving
- + 4% lower cost of living
- + $238/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - Higher violent crime rate
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 93.2 to 89.2 (ratio 0.96), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $238/mo ($2,856/yr) from $1,411 in Lebanon to $1,173 in Rapid City.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 1 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Rapid City sits #230 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Lebanon is #219/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $589 higher ($60,558 → $61,147). Labor-market size: 46,280 tracked jobs at origin vs 68,240 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Dakota scores 73 (B, #7/51) vs Pennsylvania at 65 (C, #18/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 95
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 72
- 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 Lebanon to see what you'd need to earn in Rapid City to maintain the same purchasing power.
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