A classic car cruises past a rocky side of the Black Hills near Rapid City.

Courtesy of Visit Rapid City

UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.

liv score
635
How We Calculate Our Data
Civics 55
Demographics 63
Economy 60
Education 57
Health 72
Housing 78
Infrastructure 56

#16. Rapid City, SD

Located between Badlands National Park and the Black Hills mountain range, 25 miles northeast of Mt. Rushmore, Rapid City gives residents amazing outdoor amenities, a vibrant arts scene and many affordable housing options. Nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base and Camp Rapid, a U.S. Army National Guard post, are among the major economic forces in Rapid City, which also has a growing manufacturing sector and excellent health care. Parents praise schools in Rapid City, which is known as “The City of Presidents” thanks to its collection of life-sized bronze statues of each American president.

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