Rapid City, South Dakota
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2004 | −30.6% |
| 2008 | −16.0% |
| 2012 | −22.9% |
| 2016 | −25.6% |
| 2020 | −15.7% |
| 2024 | −17.0% |
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Other | Margin | Swing | vs U.S. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 40.0%Harris13,642 | 57.0%Trump19,424 | 3.0% | R+17.0 | R+1.2 | R+15.5 | 34,075 | |
| R | 40.3%Biden13,711 | 56.0%Trump19,066 | 3.7% | R+15.7 | D+9.9 | R+20.2 | 34,023 | |
| R | 32.8%Clinton9,861 | 58.4%Trump17,571 | 8.8% | R+25.6 | R+2.7 | R+27.7 | 30,083 | |
| R | 37.1%Obama10,730 | 60.0%Romney17,341 | 2.8% | R+22.9 | R+6.8 | R+26.7 | 28,887 | |
| R | 41.0%Obama12,737 | 57.0%McCain17,721 | 2.0% | R+16.0 | D+14.6 | R+23.3 | 31,071 | |
| R | 33.8%Kerry10,115 | 64.4%Bush19,286 | 1.8% | R+30.6 | — | R+28.2 | 29,930 |
Rapid City anchors the economically distinct western half of South Dakota, where military, tourism, and Native American populations create a demographic mix that routinely produces closer margins than the state's statewide results suggest.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 30.6 points in 2004. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 1.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 17.0 points.
A population of 77,946, a 77% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $70,870 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Bismarck and Blue Springs.
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
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Rapid City, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/city/4652980/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.