Elevate Rapid City was formed in 2019 as a merger of the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership, and Economic Development Foundation (Ascent Innovation).
As the premier western South Dakota economic development organization, Elevate is committed to promoting business and personal advancement through a targeted spotlight on jobs, infrastructure, and overall quality of life in and around the Black Hills region and the Rapid City metro area.
Together, we strive to embrace the heart and soul of our community through diversified growth and strong professional opportunities advocating the strengths of the Black Hills.
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In the last few months; wages and gross sales are holding up to the pressure of interest rates, tariffs, immigration raids, and geopolitics, and housing continues to feel pressure, and there is a softening in jobs.
President and CEO Tom Johnson will depart on January 23 to assume a new role as President and CEO of the Greater Brazos Partnership, leaving behind a strong organization and a dedicated team poised to continue advancing the region’s economic growth and innovation initiatives.
2026 Legislative Crackerbarrels Announced
There are countless reasons we could answer "Why Rapid City?" But there's something extra special about when others realize how great a community is. Most recently, Rapid City was named on Livability’s Top 100 Best Places to Live list. Rapid City continues to get recognized as a great community alongside South Dakota's statewide rankings. Check out all of our latest rankings and accolades.
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When Elevate Rapid City was formed in 2018, we promised to deliver results to the Rapid City Region. We met our goals in our first five years. Now, we're chasing after even more. These are the goals we will achieve by 2027. You can see all our work and progress in our annual reports.
January 2023: 74,169 / December 2024: 79,200
January 2023 - December 2024: $20.17B
January 2023: $858/ December 2024: $1037
January 2023 - December 2024: $861 Million
National Average: 62.59%