The Town FilesPennington County, South Dakota
113,512 people. The median home is worth $302,200 (typical South Dakota town: $182,100) and the median household earns $74,517.
Towns in Pennington County
| Town | People | Median home | Income | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | 74,703 | $299,400 | $70,870 | 39.1 |
| Box Elder | 11,746 | $302,100 | $73,008 | 28.8 |
| Rapid Valley | 8,098 | $255,500 | $83,208 | 43.2 |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 1,903 | $406,500 | $98,696 | 59.5 |
| Green Valley | 1,051 | $280,300 | $81,582 | 36.9 |
| Hill City | 872 | $286,200 | $95,385 | 34.2 |
| Wall | 699 | $164,800 | $58,984 | 46.2 |
| Ashland Heights | 678 | $219,600 | $57,353 | 54.6 |
| Johnson Siding | 614 | $471,700 | $102,716 | 52.7 |
| New Underwood | 590 | $193,800 | $56,250 | 46.6 |
People and housing
| Pennington County | Typical South Dakota town | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $302,200 | $182,100 |
| Median rent | $1,120 | $785 |
| Median household income | $74,517 | $66,086 |
| Median age | 40.1 | 39.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.6% | 23.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.2% | 10.1% |
Jobs and pay
62,114 jobs in 2024, average pay $57,286 a year.
Storms since 1996
NOAA recorded 3,274 storm events in Pennington County from 1996 to 2026, with 8 deaths.
Federal disaster declarations
Pennington County has been included in 21 FEMA declarations since 1953.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4903: Straight-Line Winds |
| October 4, 2021 | Fire | FM-5418: Auburn Fire |
| March 29, 2021 | Fire | FM-5384: Schroeder Fire |
| April 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4527: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3475: Covid-19 |
| September 23, 2019 | Flood | DR-4463: Severe Storms And Flooding |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).