11 Best Internet Providers in Rapid City, SD

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Rapid City, SD for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your city.

All Providers

Speed and technology may vary by address for all providers. Please note we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers above, which does not impact the customer ratings displayed. Customer ratings listed above are national ratings, local Rapid City ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Rapid City, SD?

Midco is the best internet provider in Rapid City based on South Dakota customer satisfaction ratings and reviews. Based on our extensive and unbiased survey, Midco had the best reviews at the local, state, and national levels versus all available providers in Rapid City, making it a solid recommendation among providers with reviews. Midco is an option for 95.91% of the city.

The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Rapid City, South Dakota, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Rapid City

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Rapid City Internet Providers

Based on 28 reviews from South Dakota internet customers, Midco is the best internet service provider for Rapid City residents. Midco was rated at an average of 3.50 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. Bluepeak wins for second-place in South Dakota, with 2.50 out of 5 stars and 85.3% coverage in Rapid City.

At a national level, based on 2226 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Bluepeak is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 3.70 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Rapid City?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Bluepeak. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, Midco should have faster speeds at a local level. While we typically put more weight on real-world customer ratings, we display both satisfaction and technical maximum information for customers to decide for themselves.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Rapid City

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	Bluepeak	5,000 Mbps
	Midco	5,000 Mbps
	wispwest.net	2,500 Mbps
	Quantum Fiber	2,000 Mbps
	Mt. Rushmore Telephone Company	1,000 Mbps
	Centurylink	1,000 Mbps
	Verizon	300 Mbps
	AT&T	100 Mbps
	EarthLink	100 Mbps
	T-Mobile Home Internet	100 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	Western Communications	30 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Rapid City

Based on data reported by Rapid City ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through Midco. The company offers speeds up to 5,000 Mbps in Rapid City. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 1,896 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, actual customers in the city rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Bluepeak. This indicates Bluepeak reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Rapid City?

South Dakota customers rate Bluepeak as the cheapest internet service provider in state. Data comes from customers in the state rating their satisfaction with pricing. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.

Bluepeak received a local rating of 3.00 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. Midco is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Rapid City customers with an average price rating of 3.00 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in Rapid City, South Dakota, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in Rapid City

Rapid City Internet Health Assessment

ISP Reports evaluates the technological infrastructure across the United States. This includes assessing a grade for ISP providers and infrastructure in the city and setting an index number for the digital connectivity of its residents. You can view the ISP Report Card and the Digital Connectivity Index for Rapid City below, including the metrics used and how Rapid City compares to the rest of South Dakota and nation.

Rapid City ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Rapid City	South Dakota	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Rapid City that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	18.89%	60.99%	67.25%
	Average Download SpeedThe maximum download speed most households can get on average. This is measured by availability in a block group and weighted by the population in that area.	1,876 Mbps	1,953 Mbps	3,293 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for Rapid City.	6.7	5.3	6.8

 

Rapid City Digital Connectivity Index: 62 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Rapid City	South Dakota	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a city indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	2.3	2.5	2.7
	Work From Home PercentA higher percent of the population working from home indicates bandwidth requirements being more widely needed rather than consolidated to commercial portions of the city.	10%	10%	14%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	95%	94%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	91%	89%	90%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	79%	75%	75%
	Broadband Usage vs. AvailabilityThis measures what percentage of households who have a broadband connection to their home actually have an active subscription to that service.	79%	76%	76%

Rapid City ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Rapid City is B-, which is better than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Rapid City is high with a score of 62 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Rapid City have done a good job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Rapid City ISP Report Card evaluates the city on availability and speed metrics compared to other cities in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a city needs. Please see our ISP Report Card along with the Digital Connectivity Index above to evaluate how well the connectivity demand is met by the existing infrastructure.

91% of Rapid City households have an internet connection despite having 99.63% availability. 79% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 5% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 3% of households have internet but don’t pay for a subscription because it’s subsidized by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

As you can see in the table above, while 79% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 79% subscribe to it. A large amount of Rapid City residents are taking advantage of the available internet infrastructure.

For more details, please visit our ISP Report Card and Digital Connectivity Index pages.

How do Neighboring Cities Compare to Rapid City?

How Much Speed does a Rapid City Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Rapid City is 2.3, which is smaller than the South Dakota average of 2.5 and smaller than the national average of 2.7. Rapid City's average household income is $72,603 which is higher than the South Dakota average of $76,929 and about average for the national average of $90,606. Homes with fewer people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate a fairly average device usage pattern.

Rapid City also has 15% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is lower than the South Dakota average of 15%. Additionally, 10% of residents work from home, which is higher than the 10% of residents in South Dakota who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Rapid City has a high need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Rapid City households are more technology-engaged. 95% of households have some sort of computing device, 83% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 91% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Rapid City?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Rapid City?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Rapid City?

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Rapid City?

Which ISP Should You Choose in Rapid City?

The right ISP for you depends upon your needs, but in general we can make the following suggestions:

• The best all-around internet service provider in Rapid City is Midco.
• The fastest internet provider should be Midco. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Bluepeak may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Rapid City is Bluepeak.
• Viasat, T-Mobile Home Internet, and HughesNet has the broadest coverage in Rapid City, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what's available at your home, please use our address search tool.

How does Rapid City compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Rapid City stacks up on the national level, it's useful to look at some other cities with similarly sized populations. Below you can see a list of these cities and how they compare to Rapid City's B- ISP Report Card and 62 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.