Back to Denver or try out Rapid City??? (Sturgis: real estate, crime)

[vegaspilgrim]

Hello there, everyone! For some reason I am insanely curious about Rapid City, SD! I am originally from Denver and am going to college in the Phoenix area. I'll be graduating next year, starting my career, and basically starting life as a full fledged adult. I definitely want to get out of Phoenix. I am sick of the relentless, never ending extreme heat which goes on for months at a time, the unfriendly, mean-spirited attitudes I see here every day, the illegal immigrants, the pollution, and the lack of outdoor recreation opportunities here. My game plan up till now has been to return to Denver-- where I'll have cooler weather, access to mountains within an hours drive, and a lot of job opportunities. But is moving from one giant metro area to another going to make that big of a difference? Lately I've been thinking, perhaps I would be happier if I lived in a small, yet steadily growing city with beautiful mountainous scenery close by, friendly people, and a slower pace of life? From the pictures I've seen on the internet, and from what I've read here on City-data.com, Rapid City, SD seems to be just that!

For somebody who would be just starting out their career, would moving from a big city to Rapid City be a mistake? Or is it possible to find a niche there? Are there young people moving into Rapid City, or is it mainly retirees? Is there much of a singles scene there? What is the job market there for either finance or real estate development fields? Is it easy for newcomers with no connections to anyone who lives there to get a job? For everybody on this forum who lives in the Black Hills region, I want to know what you guys think!

[DannyBanany]

Hello vegaspilgrim!

I am from Rapid City and I can tell you that it is a very beautiful area with TONS of recreational activities at hand to keep you busy and entertained. Nightlife in Rapid City is also very active due to the many bars and clubs downtown and in the summer there are many festivals and events happening either at the Civic Center, Memorial Park, Sturgis Rally, or in the Black Hills. There are TOO MANY fun things to do in Rapid City for someone who is still young!

As for your career, it all depends on what type of job you are looking for... please tell me what your degree is in and maybe I can give you some hints as to where to find a great place to start. I have heard, from newcomers, that it is difficult to find a job in Rapid City that relates to a degree and that wages are MUCH lower in South Dakota than most other states. However, you must take into consideration that the cost of living is also MUCH lower here too!

Actually, my plan is to move to Denver someday because I find that there is nothing in Rapid City to keep me here or hold my interest. However, I am only 18 and most people my age want to leave their hometown... I do recommend coming up here and getting a feel of what Rapid City and the Black Hills is all about... It is a very beautiful area with friendly people and it is also very convenient too!

Anymore questions don't hesitate! Good luck!

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

Hello vegaspilgrim!

I am from Rapid City and I can tell you that it is a very beautiful area with TONS of recreational activities at hand to keep you busy and entertained. Nightlife in Rapid City is also very active due to the many bars and clubs downtown and in the summer there are many festivals and events happening either at the Civic Center, Memorial Park, Sturgis Rally, or in the Black Hills. There are TOO MANY fun things to do in Rapid City for someone who is still young!

As for your career, it all depends on what type of job you are looking for... please tell me what your degree is in and maybe I can give you some hints as to where to find a great place to start. I have heard, from newcomers, that it is difficult to find a job in Rapid City that relates to a degree and that wages are MUCH lower in South Dakota than most other states. However, you must take into consideration that the cost of living is also MUCH lower here too!

Actually, my plan is to move to Denver someday because I find that there is nothing in Rapid City to keep me here or hold my interest. However, I am only 18 and most people my age want to leave their hometown... I do recommend coming up here and getting a feel of what Rapid City and the Black Hills is all about... It is a very beautiful area with friendly people and it is also very convenient too!

Anymore questions don't hesitate! Good luck!

Thanks for the reply, DannyBanany! BTW, if you have any questions about Denver, feel free to ask me in a PM. You're right, I need to go there first and see what it's like. Hopefully within the new few months. I'm actually majoring in English at ASU, which doesn't really lead to any one specific career. I've taken all kinds of different classes though and I'm even considering getting a second degree (either bachelors or masters) in Business at another college, perhaps CU Denver. I don't have my heart set on any one particular field yet, so I'm willing to be flexible. I do have an interest in real estate development, though. I believe that with the right training, I could be successful in almost any business.

Here's some more specific questions (a barrage, actually)-- How fast is Rapid City and nearby communities growing? Are they constructing new suburban style subdivisions and shopping centers? What types of people would you say are moving into the area? What is the attitude of the natives towards the newcomers? How do you personally feel about your hometown and the state of South Dakota in general? How does the climate of the region compare to the Front Range cities of Colorado?

[DannyBanany]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Thanks for the reply, DannyBanany! BTW, if you have any questions about Denver, feel free to ask me in a PM. You're right, I need to go there first and see what it's like. Hopefully within the new few months. I'm actually majoring in English at ASU, which doesn't really lead to any one specific career. I've taken all kinds of different classes though and I'm even considering getting a second degree (either bachelors or masters) in Business at another college, perhaps CU Denver. I don't have my heart set on any one particular field yet, so I'm willing to be flexible. I do have an interest in real estate development, though. I believe that with the right training, I could be successful in almost any business.

Here's some more specific questions (a barrage, actually)-- How fast is Rapid City and nearby communities growing? Are they constructing new suburban style subdivisions and shopping centers? What types of people would you say are moving into the area? What is the attitude of the natives towards the newcomers? How do you personally feel about your hometown and the state of South Dakota in general? How does the climate of the region compare to the Front Range cities of Colorado?

Rapid City is growing very steadily, when I moved here in 1991 the population was about 50,000 and now it is about 70,000 plus it is the main city in a metro of about 120,000 people. Not to mention, it is the largest city in the Black Hills and Western South Dakota which is half of the state of South Dakota or about 400,000 people. Slightly smaller than Colorado or Arizona eh?

Due to high taxes in Rapid City limits, most of the growth is suburban style with many new developments mostly to the south of the city and the northwest in Meade County. These towns are called Summerset, Piedmont Valley, Elk Creek, and developments have their own names too. We are also building a new mall by Interstate 90 (east-west) and shopping centers and plazas are being built everywhere that you see new houses. Especially west and south.

You may actually be surprised to hear that the people that are moving into Rapid City are mostly from Colorado, Arizona, and the West Coast! I have met TONS of people from these areas that said that they fell in love with the area and the people when they visited so they decided to stay! Native Rapid Citians have a mostly positive attitude towards newcomers, however there is always the problem of the "riff-raff" that is associated with big-city people moving to small towns... crime, traffic, etc. However, Rapid City is still quite small (70,000) and these problems are VERY MINOR compared to Denver or Phoenix.

As for the climate, it is very comparible with the Front Range... long dry summers, cool dry winters (snow melts fast) and I have actually heard from a Denverite neighbor of mine that a garden does better in Rapid City than Denver.... perhaps it is the lack of smog??? Haha!
High temperatures in the summer reach about 90-100 and lows are about 70-75. Winter highs are about 35-40 and lows can be -10 to -30!!!!!

I personally am very happy to have grown up in Rapid City. It is a great place to raise a family and it is a community where it is easy to get involved and make friends... but you gotta come check it out!

[ElkHunter]

I might add that "In City Limits" the taxes are high? So are they outside city limits.

Danny, you know where Johnson Siding is up 44 about 17 miles. Right across the road, my folks bought 10 acres with a house. When they bought it, the Property tax was around $1700 a year. Within 3 years their taxes went up to over $5000 a year. It seems that Rapid City/Pennington County, drew this imaginary line around the city based on where they expect the growth to spread to. Now, anybody inside that line has to pay taxes equivelant to the Taxes inside the city because that's where they expect the city limits to move to in a few years.

Also, inside that line, the homes must fall under the same building code as that in the city so that their homes will be in code when they move the city limits.

In a couple areas, their line didn't do justice and you can find some deals. But in other cases, the line extended into area's that won't be in city limits in the next 30 years, but they are still taxed like they will.

So be careful if you are looking to buy. Check into it, and then double check. Talk to people around that area and see what they know.

[DannyBanany]

jgussler-

Thank you for the info! I guess I never realized that taxes are just as high outside of Rapid City as they are inside. Pennington County taxes must be significantly higher than Meade County. Perhaps that is why there is so much development in Piedmont Valley and Summerset.

I can't believe taxes are the same in Johnson Siding as they are in Rapid City! Johnson Siding is WAY OUTSIDE of Rapid City limits!!!! I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson Siding is NEVER ANNEXED!!!

[vegaspilgrim]

Thanks for the info, DannyBanany and jgussler. Hopefully we'll get some more people to respond as well. I might try to see if I can plan a trip to the Black Hills next month-- after the whole Sturgis thing is over. You might see me back on this forum in the future with some ?'s.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Thanks for the info, DannyBanany and jgussler. Hopefully we'll get some more people to respond as well. I might try to see if I can plan a trip to the Black Hills next month-- after the whole Sturgis thing is over. You might see me back on this forum in the future with some ?'s.

Please do. We kind of like to brag about this state and we're more then happy to wax flatulance.

[AZheat]

Thanks for posting that info Jgussler. I don't find 5K a year in property taxes for 10 acres and a home to be that unreasonable. Maybe that's because I live in Pima County, AZ where property taxes are high. I guess it's where you are coming from that makes the taxes seem high or low.

[BusySocialWorker]

I can tell you we moved to Rapid from Denver - We love it and will never go back to Denver, (unless we never get our house sold )

The weather is almost IDENTICAL (winters / low humidity etc)
The hills here are great.. honestly we have better views here
the air is clean
no traffic
much more affordable cost of living
better schools and friendlier people

I think Denver has gotten too over crowded - poor air quality etc - the schools have become too busy and crime continues to increase.. basicly we loved it there when it was just the two of us, but when kids entered the picture it was time to run and run fast The only thing i miss is the shopping, but yay for the internet With in the year, both hubby and I will be making as much or more then we made in Denver, with a much lower cost of living!