What is the largest city in Pennington County, SD?

Rapid City is the largest city or town in Pennington County, with about 77,946 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Pennington County?

Pennington County includes 10 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 57701, 57702, 57703, 57725, 57745.

What is the population of Pennington County, SD?

About 113,512 people live in Pennington County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Pennington County?

Pennington County borders Meade County, Lawrence County, Oglala Lakota County, Custer County, Weston County, WY, Jackson County, Haakon County.

Pennington County, SD: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

113,512

Land area

2,777sq mi

People per sq mi

41

ZIP codes

10

Pennington County at a glance

Pennington County is about 3.4 times as dense as South Dakota as a whole.
By population, it ranks 2nd among 66 counties in South Dakota.
The median household income is $74,517, close to the South Dakota median.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $302,200 (17% above South Dakota) and median rent is $1,120 a month.
Its largest cities are Rapid City (77,946), Box Elder (12,902) and Rapid Valley (6,975).

Local data for Pennington County, SD

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Pennington County, SD, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$74,517

Poverty rate

11.2%

Median home value

$302,200

Prices +2.5% in a year

Median rent

$1,120/mo

Homeownership

69.3%

Bachelor's or higher

34.6%

Median age

40.1

Average commute

19.4 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (33,073), Irish Americans (15,297), Norwegian Americans (8,890).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

2.1%

Aug 2026, 0.0 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$59,768

62,445 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$78,464

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$1B

FY 2026, $9,179 per person

PPP loans

$294M

3,985 loans, 36,396 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$1.17M

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Pennington County, SD, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone77.4%
Carpooled9.1%
Public transit0.2%
Walked1.9%
Bicycle0.7%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.2%
Worked from home9.6%

Average one-way commute: 19.4 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Pennington County, SD, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Low

Top: wildfire

Storm events since 1996

3,274

Most often hail

Flood insurance policies

253

0.6% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

86° / 13°F

17.4 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 45 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Pennington County, SD, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

33.7%

U.S. 33.3% about the same

Diabetes

12.1%

U.S. 12.1% about the same

Smoking

15.0%

U.S. 12.8% +2.2 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

8.5%

U.S. 11.1% -2.6 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Pennington County

Population shown

·

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Pennington County, SD?: Rapid City is the largest city or town in Pennington County, with about 77,946 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Pennington County?: Pennington County includes 10 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 57701, 57702, 57703, 57725, 57745.
What is the population of Pennington County, SD?: About 113,512 people live in Pennington County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Pennington County?: Pennington County borders Meade County, Lawrence County, Oglala Lakota County, Custer County, Weston County, WY, Jackson County, Haakon County.