Black Hills hub where Native and non-Native electorates diverge sharply
Rapid City anchors a metro that spans some of the most lopsided partisan precincts in South Dakota, with heavily Democratic voting on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations contrasting against reliably Republican returns in the surrounding white-majority suburbs and rural fringe.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington | 114K | R+26.4 | 20,051 | 35,009 | 56,580 | 18.3% |
| Pennington | 107K | R+26.4 | 20,051 | 35,009 | 56,580 | 18.3% |
| Pennington | 97K | R+26.4 | 20,051 | 35,009 | 56,580 | 18.3% |
| Pennington | 89K | R+26.4 | 20,051 | 35,009 | 56,580 | 18.3% |
| Meade | 31K | R+50.9 | 3,421 | 10,887 | 14,672 | 4.7% |
| Meade | 27K | R+50.9 | 3,421 | 10,887 | 14,672 | 4.7% |
| Meade | 24K | R+50.9 | 3,421 | 10,887 | 14,672 | 4.7% |
| Meade | 24K | R+50.9 | 3,421 | 10,887 | 14,672 | 4.7% |
| Custer | 9K | R+45.8 | 1,567 | 4,313 | 6,001 | 1.9% |
| Custer | 8K | R+45.8 | 1,567 | 4,313 | 6,001 | 1.9% |
| Custer | 8K | R+45.8 | 1,567 | 4,313 | 6,001 | 1.9% |
| Custer | 7K | R+45.8 | 1,567 | 4,313 | 6,001 | 1.9% |
| Group | Rapid City, SD | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 83.5% | 57.4% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(4) | 6.3% | 0.9% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(14) | 4.1% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.8% | 4.0% |
▶Black / African American(9) | 1.2% | 12.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.0% | 6.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(7) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -39.8pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.7% | 53.8% | — | — | |
| 9.5% | 21.6% | — | — | |
| 8.2% | 18.5% | — | — | |
| 2.6% | 5.8% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.7% | 3.8% | — | — |
| 0.1% | 0.3% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 55.9% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Rapid City, SD metro area? 544,522 residents across 12 counties.
28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 5pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+3 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+44.4 | R+31.0 | 13.4pp |