Rapid City, SD has safety grade D, a population of about 76,541, an overall crime rate near 2,418 per 100k as of 2026. For real estate investors, safety is only half the picture: pair these crime statistics with rental demand and returns to judge whether Rapid City, SD is a sound place to buy. See the investment overview for Rapid City, SD for median prices, rental yield and Pulse Score, or run the numbers in the ROI analyzer.
Rapid City, SD crime snapshot: safety grade D, violent crime rate 12.00 per 1,000 residents, property crime rate 8.00 per 1,000 residents. Compare nearby zip codes, hotspots, and safety recommendations below.
High Risk
per 1000 residents
The area has very low safety standards with a D rating. Residents should be aware of their surroundings and take appropriate precautions.
Given the higher rate of violent crimes (49.0% of total incidents), residents should prioritize personal safety measures, avoid walking alone at night, and stay informed about local safety alerts.
The high crime volume of 1,851 incidents indicates this is an active urban area. The most common crime type is assault.
Crime rates in Rapid City align with national averages, suggesting typical urban safety patterns.
Based on the provided crime data for the area represented by GEOID 16000US4652980, a detailed analysis reveals the following: The total reported crime count is 1,851 incidents. Assault is the most prevalent crime category, accounting for 885 incidents, followed by property crime with 632 incidents. Within property crime, larceny/theft offenses are the most frequent, with 387 incidents, followed by destruction/damage/vandalism of property with 111 incidents. Stolen property offenses account for 72 incidents, burglary/breaking & entering for 36 incidents, and motor vehicle theft for 26 incidents. Robbery accounts for 18 incidents. Sex offenses are relatively low, with a total of 20 incidents, including both forcible and non-forcible offenses, as well as kidnapping/abduction. Other crimes, including embezzlement, counterfeiting/forgery, and fraud offenses, total 292 incidents, with fraud offenses being the most common. Homicide is the least frequent crime, with 4 incidents reported. To provide a more comprehensive analysis, additional information is needed, such as the city and state associated with GEOID 16000US4652980, the population of the area, median income, crime rate per 100k population, safety score, safety grade, violent crime rate, property crime rate, crime map data, and zip codes data. Without this information, it is challenging to provide a complete picture of the safety and security of the area.
Explore related real estate, safety, and education data for Rapid City, SD.
Crime rates are normalized per 1,000 residents based on reported incidents in FBI UCR and local agency feeds. We split incidents into violent, property, and other categories so you can see where the risk concentrates.
The “Safest Zip Codes” section above ranks nearby zip codes by safety score, while the “High Crime Zip Codes” section highlights areas with elevated reported crime in Rapid City, SD.
Crime data is refreshed on a rolling basis as updated reports are published by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer and partnering agencies.
Combine this crime report with the market overview for Rapid City, SD and the school report linked in the “Related analysis” section to assess both safety and investment fundamentals.
PulseReal’s analysis is built on top of these public, authoritative datasets.
Official UCR crime statistics by state and agency from the FBI.
Population, demographics, housing, and income data from the US Census Bureau.
Encyclopedic overview of the city, history, and notable landmarks.
Housing affordability, fair-market rents, and market reports from HUD.
Local unemployment and employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bureau of Justice Statistics publications on US crime victimization.
✓ Analyze real estate data ✓ Neighborhood safety ratings ✓ Detailed crime statistics
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