Madison → Rapid City
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Madison to Rapid City is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 97.3 to 89.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $22/mo.
- -$11,380
- BLS median salary lower in Rapid City
- 280 to 320
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.4:1 to 13.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,661
- 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.
Pros of Moving
- + 8% lower cost of living
- + More affordable childcare
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $11K lower median salary
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 97.3 to 89.2, so each dollar covers more in Rapid City (ratio 0.92). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,195 → $1,173); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.
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). Madison is #107/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,380 lower ($72,527 → $61,147). Labor-market size: 399,040 tracked jobs at origin vs 68,240 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Dakota scores 73 (B, #7/51) vs Wisconsin at 57 (D, #32/51). 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
- 62
- Property tax
- 56
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 40
- 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 Madison 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