Is Appleton cheaper than Rapid City?

Rapid City is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 4% below Appleton's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Appleton or Rapid City?

Appleton has the higher median household income — $82,501 versus $78,056 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Appleton or Rapid City?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($89,268 versus $87,546).

Which has cheaper rent, Appleton or Rapid City?

Rents are close — $1,164/mo in the Appleton metro versus $1,168/mo in Rapid City (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Appleton vs Rapid City

Metro-area medians — Appleton, WI Metro Area vs Rapid City, SD Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Appleton comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Rapid City is about 4% cheaper to live in, while Appleton households earn about 6% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Appleton has the tighter job market — 2.1% unemployment versus 3.2%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Appleton, WI

$58,454

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$63,248

real value after local prices

Rapid City, SD

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$68,768

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Rapid City leaves you about $5,519/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Appleton

Rapid City

Livability (CityLedger)

71/100

65/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

92.4

89.2

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$89,268

$87,546

Median household income

$82,501

$78,056

Median rent

$1,164/mo

$1,168/mo

Median home value

$297,500

$361,100

Unemployment

2.1%

3.2%

Bachelor's degree or higher

33.3%

34.6%

Average commute

19.9 min

20.8 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

46°F

47°F

Choose Appleton for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Median household income
+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Appleton profile →

Choose Rapid City for

+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Rapid City profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Appleton and Rapid City on cost, income, size, and education.

Appleton vs Billings→Appleton vs Eau Claire→Appleton vs La Crosse→Rapid City vs La Crosse→Rapid City vs Eau Claire→Rapid City vs Billings→

Appleton vs Rapid City — frequently asked

Is Appleton cheaper than Rapid City?: Rapid City is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 4% below Appleton's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Appleton or Rapid City?: Appleton has the higher median household income — $82,501 versus $78,056 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Appleton or Rapid City?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($89,268 versus $87,546).
Which has cheaper rent, Appleton or Rapid City?: Rents are close — $1,164/mo in the Appleton metro versus $1,168/mo in Rapid City (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).