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Pennington County, South Dakota: crime rate, income and local data
The violent-crime rate in Pennington County was 6.3 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 78% higher than the statewide rate (3.5). Median household income is $74,517 and the unemployment rate was 2.1% in August 2026. About 113,512 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Pennington County?
Police agencies in Pennington County reported an average of 759 violent crimes and 3,403 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. That is 6.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 78% higher than the South Dakota rate (3.5), and 70% higher than the U.S. rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 28.0 per 1,000, against 15.8 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 66% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 9 homicide deaths a year in the county (7.6 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Pennington County | Per 1,000 | South Dakota per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 759 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 8 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 170 | 1.4 | 0.53 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 81 | 0.67 | 0.21 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 500 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 3,403 | 28.0 | 15.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 485 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,483 | 20.5 | 11.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 434 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (3 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Pennington County?
Median household income is $74,517, close to the statewide figure ($75,081). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $302,200, and the median rent is $1,120 a month. 8.1% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.9%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,257 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Pennington County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 113,512 | 907,428 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $74,517 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $302,200 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,120 | $946 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.2% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 11.2% | 11.9% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.1% | 7.9% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 34.6% | 31.9% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 69.3% | 68.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 38.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 90.6% | 89.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 10.2% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Pennington County?
Pennington County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Pennington County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Pennington County has 14 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 5 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Pactola Dam (245 ft) and Deerfield Dam (171 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
6 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 68,133 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Pennington County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 2, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 4 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 65 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 12 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Pennington County?
South Dakota does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Pennington County is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Pennington County?
Pennington County has 41 public schools (2024-25) and 10 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 9 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 26 fire or EMS stations and 6 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Pennington County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Pennington County: Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Off-Reservation Trust Land. 2 ancient or sacred sites are on the map here: Black Elk Peak and Black Hills. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands · sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Pennington County
Gun shops
22 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Pennington County, plus 16 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 9 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: 1St Stop INC (Rapid City), Arnolds Arms LLC (Box Elder), Best Choice Pawn (Rapid City), Black Hills Ammunition INC (Rapid City), Black Hills Pawn (Rapid City), Black Hills Shooters Supply (Rapid City), Cabela's 427 (Rapid City), First National Pawn (2 in Rapid City) and 13 more.
Liquor stores
11 liquor stores are on the map in Pennington County: Autumn Hills Liquor, Boyd's Liquor Mart (Rapid City), Caesar's Spirits (Rapid City), Canyon Lake Liquors (Rapid City), Lena's Liquor (Rapid City), Mr. Liquor (Rapid City), Mr. Liquor West (Rapid City), RC Liquors East Side (Rapid City) and 3 more. South Dakota has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Pennington County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Pennington County?
Pennington County averaged 759 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 6.3 per 1,000 residents, 78% higher than the South Dakota rate (3.5). The property-crime rate was 28.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Pennington County?
$74,517 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $75,081 for South Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Pennington County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 2.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,257 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Pennington County?
Pennington County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
How many nursing homes are in Pennington County?
9 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Pennington County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County | 8,892 | 1.5 | $84,112 |
| Haakon County | 1,722 | – | $65,625 |
| Jackson County | 2,802 | 0.68 | – |
| Lawrence County | 27,233 | 2.0 | $73,384 |
| Meade County | 30,546 | 1.8 | $74,790 |
| Oglala Lakota County | 13,491 | – | $41,417 |
| Weston County, WY | 6,826 | 1.5 | $89,509 |
| Ziebach County | 2,377 | – | $53,958 |
Cities in Pennington County with their own page: Rapid City.
More: South Dakota statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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