Pennington - Work & Economy

Pennington County's median income exceeds most other counties in the Black Hills region and has risen from $37,485 in 2000 to $46,972 in 2009. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county's total labor force in October 2011 was 55,226, with 2,213 people or 4.0 percent listed as unemployed. Trade, transportation and utilities account for the largest share of jobs in Pennington County with nearly 22 percent of total employment. Education and health services is second with 17 percent. Most employed resident work in the county, with less than 5 percent commuting out. The median drive to work lasts 17 minutes. For an in-depth economic profile of Pennington County, visit the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development. The Rapid City Chamber of Commerce has aggregated data links related to the Rapid City economy. Rapid City Economic Development also provides market data on the local economy.

Employment

The chart below shows the unemployment rate over the past decade for Pennington county, along with a line showing the average during this time, as recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unemployment rate is defined as the number unemployed as a percent of the labor force. Persons 16 years and older who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work (except for temporary illness) and had made specific efforts to find employment, are classified as unemployed. For more information, see http://bls.gov/lau/.

Another way to explore the types of jobs in a particular area in the Black Hills region is to compare the number of jobs to the number of people employed. The higher the ratio of jobs to employed persons, the more common part-time employment is in this county. The chart below shows the movement in both these numbers, as well as a visual comparison of the difference between “employment” and “all employees.” These data come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Employment” is an establishment-level indicator of a paid position covered by state and federal unemployment insurance programs (and collected by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages). “All Employees” is a household-level indicator of the number of actively employed persons during a period of time, estimated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics from American Community Survey Data. For more information, see http://www.bls.gov/lau/laumthd.htm and http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cewqtr.tn.htm.

In terms of the economic recovery, the widget below shows the funds flowing into Pennington county from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

   Income & Wages

Below is a chart showing the average weekly wages in Pennington county over the past decade, as recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These data are recorded quarterly. For a snapshot of the changes in wages (preliminary estimates) over the most recent period, please refer to http://beta.bls.gov/maps/cew/us.

Below is a chart showing an alternate measure of income, the average annual pay in Pennington county over the same time period. For more information, please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage program. http://www.bls.gov/cew/

Wages include bonuses, stock options, profit distributions, the cash value of meals and lodging, tips and other gratuities, and, in some states, employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans such as 401(k) plans.

Gross Domestic Product

New capital investment and sources of labor contribute to the growth of the Black Hills economy. Below is a chart showing the labor force in Pennington County over the past decade. The shade of the bars indicates the level of business establishments during that year. The darker the bar, the more businesses in the economy. This data has been recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as a part of the Local Area Unemployment Survey.

The term “establishment” refers to the physical location of a certain economic activity—for example, a factory, mine, store, or office. A single establishment generally produces a single good or provides a single service. An enterprise (a private firm, government, or nonprofit organization) can consist of a single establishment or multiple establishments. All establishments in an enterprise may be classified in one industry (e.g., a chain), or they may be classified in different industries (e.g., a conglomerate).

Agriculture & Resources

Despite the growth of the urban population around Rapid City, agriculture continues to play an important role in Pennington County's economy. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of acres devoted to agriculture declined by only 2 percent. Meanwhile, the market value of agricultural products raised in the county rose 30 percent, to $56,038,000. Livestock accounted for two-thirds of these sales, but 73.4 percent of all agricultural land was devoted to pasture. 

The average farm or ranch in Pennington County was 1,809 acres in 2007. It produced $85,554 in marketable products and received another $13,418 in government payments. The average principal operator was 58.1 years old and most likely white and male. American Indians made up just under 5 percent of all principal operators, while women accounted for only 13.6 percent.

For more information on agriculture in Pennington County, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2007 Census of Agriculture.

Transportation

The Rapid City Regional Airport serves as the primary airport for a broad area that includes most of western South Dakota, as well as parts of Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Rapid City airport ranked 156th among the nation's airports with 284,126 passenger "emplanements" in 2010. This volume represented a 6.63 percent increase over 2009, and was almost exactly in line with the growth predicted in the airport's 2008 Master Plan. By contrast, passenger volume rose 12.67 percent in Casper, WY;  6.48 percent in Bismarck, ND; 6.98 percent in Sioux Falls, SD; 6.04 percent in Bozeman, MT; and 3.75 percent in Fargo, ND. In Billings, Montana, passenger volume fell by 2.31 percent. The May, 2008 Masterplan provides a wealth of information on the future growth of the airport. (The executive summary is available here. The full report is available here.)