Rapid City Ranks High Amongst Happiest Places to Live

WalletHub ranks Rapid City among top tier of 182 ranked cities for happiness

Rapid City was ranked among the nation’s happiest cities to live in the nation in a report released this week by WalletHub.

Rapid City ranked 36^th among the top 182 cities referenced in the report. WalletHub compared 182 of the largest cities, including the 150 most populated US cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state, across three key dimensions: emotional/physical well-being, income/employment, and community/environment.

Rapid City was among the top six cities for happiest place to live in the region listed in the report, with all six ranking in the top 20 percent of the listing:

• Sioux Falls (11^th)
• Minneapolis (13^th)
• Fargo, ND (16^th)
• Lincoln, NE (19^th)
• Bismarck, ND (20^th)
• Rapid City (36^th)

Other regional cities in the 182-city rankings included Omaha, NE (41^st), St. Paul, MN (44^th), Cedar Rapids, IA (45^th), Missoula, MT (70^th), Des Moines, IA (72^nd), Billings, MT (82^nd) and Casper, WY (153^rd).

This report is also good news for those who are looking for employment opportunities. Rapid City was the second-highest-ranking city in the region for income and employment.

“The WalletHub report confirms what many people who live and visit here have known and sometimes take for granted: Rapid City is a great place to live. You can find a lot of happiness here,” said Mayor Jason Salamun. “Rapid City is a great place to live, work and raise a family. Rapid City and the Black Hills have many quality-of-life experiences and opportunities for residents and visitors alike.”

Methodology for Happiest Places to Live

WalletHub used 29 indicators of happiness to determine the happiest places to live rankings, ranging from income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day to depression rate. Indicators included evaluating the unemployment rate, commute time, job satisfaction, and poverty rate. It also took into account physical-health and mental health factors, weather, acres of parkland, separation and divorce rates, hate-crime incidents, and depression rates among others.

View the full report at https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619