Rapid City Lebanon

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Rapid City to Lebanon is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.2 to 93.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $238/mo.

-$589
BLS median salary lower in Lebanon
320 to 250
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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 89.2 → 93.2
Rent Delta: +$238/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Lower violent crime rate

Cons of Moving

  • - 4% higher cost of living
  • - $238/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 89.2 to 93.2 (ratio 1.05), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $238/mo ($2,856/yr) from $1,173 in Rapid City to $1,411 in Lebanon.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (1 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Lebanon sits #219 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Rapid City is #230/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $589 lower ($61,147 → $60,558). Labor-market size: 68,240 tracked jobs at origin vs 46,280 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: 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.

Dimension
Rapid City
Lebanon
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 89.2
RPP 93.2
Rapid City
Rent (2BR)
$1,173/mo
$1,411/mo
Rapid City
Wages
$61,147
$60,558
Rapid City
Crime
320 per 100K
250 per 100K
Lebanon
Schools
13.6:1
13.6:1
Tie
Childcare
$6,595/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
1217 violations
5292 violations
Rapid City

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 · South Dakota
73 B #7/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
64
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
70
Destination state · Pennsylvania
65 C #18/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
58
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
72

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 Rapid City to see what you'd need to earn in Lebanon to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Lebanon
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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