Compare Black Hills Communities
25 towns and unincorporated communities. Pick two to four and the full table appears underneath. Commutes are driving times to the Ellsworth main gate and downtown Rapid City. Median sold prices, where we have them, come from the MLS over the trailing twelve months with the source, window and sale count printed under each figure. Typical price bands are practical search ranges, not medians, and are labelled separately.
10 of 25 communities
Price filters only consider communities with a published trailing twelve month median, so towns without one do not appear in a price filter.
The five facts that decide a shortlist
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Everything within about twenty five minutes of downtown Rapid City or the Ellsworth main gate, where most of the newer inventory, the shortest commutes and the jurisdiction questions about city versus county service are.
- Typical price
- About $683,000 average sold in the Sheridan Lake Road MLS area, 71 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $682,615. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 71 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- Roughly 6 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- Mostly private well and septic
- School district
- Rapid City Area School District 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Northern Hills and I-90
The Sturgis to Belle Fourche side of the Hills, with its own hospitals, schools and employers, so a job in Spearfish or Sturgis does not have to mean a Rapid City commute.
- Typical price
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $365,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 97 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 48 min, 38.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 33 min, 28.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Central and Southern Hills
In the timber and on the far southern edge, where lots get larger, well and septic get common, and the drive to a full service hospital becomes part of the decision.
- Typical price
- Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $650,000 average sold, 28 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $648,229. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 28 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- Median sold $519,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 45 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 30 to 35 minutes on US-16Driving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Prairie and Badlands
East of the Hills on the open prairie, where lots run larger, water is often a private well, services are thinner and the wind and the drive are the tradeoffs.
- Typical price
- About $320,000 average sold, 20 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $319,585. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 20 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 11 miles, exit 78 to the main gate at exit 67ADistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 18 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- New Underwood School District 51-3Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $270,000 average sold, 19 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $270,435. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 19 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 43 miles westDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Wall School District 51-5Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Between Belle Fourche, Buffalo Gap, Keystone
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- Belle FourcheNorthern Hills and I-90Buffalo GapCentral and Southern HillsKeystoneCentral and Southern Hills
- County
- Belle FourcheButte CountyBuffalo GapCuster CountyKeystonePennington County
- Jurisdiction
- Belle FourcheNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.Buffalo GapIncorporated town of Buffalo Gap, with Custer County outside the limits.KeystoneIncorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.
- Corridor
- Belle FourcheUS-85 and SD-34Buffalo GapSD 79KeystoneUS 16A
- To downtown Rapid City
- Belle FourcheAbout 55 to 60 minutesBuffalo GapAbout 45 miles, roughly 56 minutesKeystoneAbout 25 minutes northeast
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Belle FourcheAbout an hourBuffalo GapAbout 55 milesKeystoneAbout 40 minutes
Belle Fourche, Buffalo Gap, Keystone
Rows marked as differing are the ones where these do not read alike. Rows without the mark sit on a quiet background because they say the same thing in every column.
| Attribute | Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche | Central and Southern HillsBuffalo Gap | Central and Southern HillsKeystone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | |||
| Regiondiffers | Northern Hills and I-90 | Central and Southern Hills | Central and Southern Hills |
| Countydiffers | Butte County | Custer County | Pennington County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. | Incorporated town of Buffalo Gap, with Custer County outside the limits. | Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides. |
| Corridordiffers | US-85 and SD-34 | SD 79 | US 16A |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 45 miles, roughly 56 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 55 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Out on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing. | Highway 79 is state maintained and is the connection to Hot Springs and Rapid City. Off it, this is open prairie with blowing snow. | Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads. |
| Housing and lots | |||
| Typical pricediffers | $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales. | One single family sale shows in the Black Hills MLS over 24 months, at $80,000. One closing is a sample of one rather than a price level, so read it that way. | About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample. |
| Housing agediffers | Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges | An 1885 to 1939 historic core with an aging housing stock and about a fifth of units vacant. | An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins. |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | None underway | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Larger lots and acreage become more common around the edges of Belle Fourche and in nearby rural subdivisions. | Acreage parcels are common here | Some acreage, mostly platted town lots |
| Typical lotdiffers | Generous in town, acreage out past it | A handful of historic townsite lots, with grassland and ranch ground around them. | Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Few plats here carry recorded covenants |
| Utilities and rules | |||
| Utility pattern | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it |
| Waterdiffers | Municipal water inside the limits, a private well or a district system outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer. | Town of Buffalo Gap municipal water from a single well, serving about 93 connections. Rural parcels are on private wells. | Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells. |
| Sewerdiffers | City sewer inside the limits, private septic outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer. | Not documented in the public record. There is no municipal wastewater project or discharge permit on file that I could find. Confirm with the town finance officer before assuming either town sewer or septic. | Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | General zoning and state rules do the work in Belle Fourche. Confirm the lodging use category with city hall for the address before you count on rental income. | This is hunting and grassland country rather than a tourism corridor. Demand is seasonal and specific. | A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing. |
| Schools | |||
| School districtdiffers | Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Hot Springs School District 23-2, despite the town being in Custer CountyAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | |||
| Groceriesdiffers | Full-service grocery options in town include Lueders Food Centers and Lynn's Dakotamart. | Nothing full service in town. Hot Springs, about 14 miles south, is where errands happen. | Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish. | Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs, a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department and a rural health clinic, about 18 minutes away. | No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital. |
| Recreationdiffers | The Geographic Center of the Nation monument, the Tri-State Museum, and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo every Fourth of July week since 1918. | Buffalo Gap National Grassland, hunting, rock collecting and OHV country, with the Cheyenne River nearby. | Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close. |
| The trade | |||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A ranching hub with a working main street, mature trees and a rodeo the whole town turns out for. | A nearly intact turn-of-the-century western streetscape on the National Register, mostly quiet, at the gate to the grassland. | An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors. |
| What you gaindiffers | A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town. | Eighteen minutes from the hospital in Hot Springs, with 600,000 acres of grassland out the door and one MLS closing in two years to price from. | Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property. |
| What you give updiffers | Rapid City is 55 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth about an hour, so this is a commute you pick on purpose. | No school, no store and no services in town, an aging water system with an open compliance item, and an undocumented sewer situation. | A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter. |
- Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche
- Central and Southern HillsBuffalo Gap
- Central and Southern HillsKeystone
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Buffalo Gap
- Central and Southern Hills
- Keystone
- Central and Southern Hills
Countydiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Butte County
- Buffalo Gap
- Custer County
- Keystone
- Pennington County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Belle Fourche
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Buffalo Gap
- Incorporated town of Buffalo Gap, with Custer County outside the limits.
- Keystone
- Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.
Corridordiffers
- Belle Fourche
- US-85 and SD-34
- Buffalo Gap
- SD 79
- Keystone
- US 16A
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Belle Fourche
- About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Buffalo Gap
- About 45 miles, roughly 56 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Keystone
- About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Buffalo Gap
- About 55 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Keystone
- About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Out on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing.
- Buffalo Gap
- Highway 79 is state maintained and is the connection to Hot Springs and Rapid City. Off it, this is open prairie with blowing snow.
- Keystone
- Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Belle Fourche
- $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales.
- Buffalo Gap
- One single family sale shows in the Black Hills MLS over 24 months, at $80,000. One closing is a sample of one rather than a price level, so read it that way.
- Keystone
- About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample.
Housing agediffers
- Belle Fourche
- Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges
- Buffalo Gap
- An 1885 to 1939 historic core with an aging housing stock and about a fifth of units vacant.
- Keystone
- An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins.
New constructiondiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Buffalo Gap
- None underway
- Keystone
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Belle Fourche
- Larger lots and acreage become more common around the edges of Belle Fourche and in nearby rural subdivisions.
- Buffalo Gap
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Keystone
- Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Typical lotdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Generous in town, acreage out past it
- Buffalo Gap
- A handful of historic townsite lots, with grassland and ranch ground around them.
- Keystone
- Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Belle Fourche
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
- Buffalo Gap
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Keystone
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Belle Fourche
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Buffalo Gap
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Keystone
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Municipal water inside the limits, a private well or a district system outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
- Buffalo Gap
- Town of Buffalo Gap municipal water from a single well, serving about 93 connections. Rural parcels are on private wells.
- Keystone
- Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells.
Sewerdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- City sewer inside the limits, private septic outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
- Buffalo Gap
- Not documented in the public record. There is no municipal wastewater project or discharge permit on file that I could find. Confirm with the town finance officer before assuming either town sewer or septic.
- Keystone
- Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- General zoning and state rules do the work in Belle Fourche. Confirm the lodging use category with city hall for the address before you count on rental income.
- Buffalo Gap
- This is hunting and grassland country rather than a tourism corridor. Demand is seasonal and specific.
- Keystone
- A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Buffalo Gap
- Hot Springs School District 23-2, despite the town being in Custer CountyAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Keystone
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Full-service grocery options in town include Lueders Food Centers and Lynn's Dakotamart.
- Buffalo Gap
- Nothing full service in town. Hot Springs, about 14 miles south, is where errands happen.
- Keystone
- Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast.
Healthcarediffers
- Belle Fourche
- Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish.
- Buffalo Gap
- Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs, a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department and a rural health clinic, about 18 minutes away.
- Keystone
- No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital.
Recreationdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- The Geographic Center of the Nation monument, the Tri-State Museum, and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo every Fourth of July week since 1918.
- Buffalo Gap
- Buffalo Gap National Grassland, hunting, rock collecting and OHV country, with the Cheyenne River nearby.
- Keystone
- Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Belle Fourche
- A ranching hub with a working main street, mature trees and a rodeo the whole town turns out for.
- Buffalo Gap
- A nearly intact turn-of-the-century western streetscape on the National Register, mostly quiet, at the gate to the grassland.
- Keystone
- An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors.
What you gaindiffers
- Belle Fourche
- A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town.
- Buffalo Gap
- Eighteen minutes from the hospital in Hot Springs, with 600,000 acres of grassland out the door and one MLS closing in two years to price from.
- Keystone
- Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property.
What you give updiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Rapid City is 55 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth about an hour, so this is a commute you pick on purpose.
- Buffalo Gap
- No school, no store and no services in town, an aging water system with an open compliance item, and an undocumented sewer situation.
- Keystone
- A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter.
Commute figures are driving times off peak, from the community guide each card links to. Median sold prices come from the MLS, and each figure carries its own source, window and closing count, because Sturgis, Spearfish and the northern hills report through a different MLS than Rapid City. Under five closings there is no median, and the price row says so. Five to nine closings carries a small sample note. School districts follow the official boundary for the address, and the district office is the only place to confirm an assignment. Short term rental lines are summaries. Read the guide and the current ordinance before you count on rental income.
The filters use these definitions: under $400k is the MLS sold figure for the town, a median where one is published and otherwise the average sold, comes in under $400,000; close to ellsworth is 25 minutes or less to the Ellsworth main gate; close to rapid city is 20 minutes or less to downtown Rapid City; short commute is 15 minutes or less to either downtown Rapid City or the Ellsworth gate; new construction available is the guide establishes active or limited new construction; acreage available is acreage is common or present in the guide; city water and sewer is city water and sewer across the community; smaller market is fewer than 100 closed single family sales in the trailing twelve months; more rural is acreage is common, or water and sewer are not municipal throughout; established housing is the guide classifies the housing stock as established, meaning largely pre 2000; newer housing is the guide classifies a meaningful share of the housing stock as 2000s or later.
Every row here is a townwide summary and a single parcel can read differently. Buyer due diligence should include verifying water and sewer service, school assignment, recorded covenants and HOA obligations, rental rules, legal access, insurance availability and which jurisdiction inspects and permits the work, for the exact address. Confirm with the city or county, the utility or district, the school district office, the title company and your insurer as applicable.
Last updated August 2026
Want to talk through the tradeoffs?
Two towns can look identical in a table and feel nothing alike on a Tuesday night in February. Call or text and tell me which rows above are the ones you cannot live with, and we can work the list down from there.
Considering a home here?
Send the address and we can talk it through. The details that change from one property to the next are jurisdiction, water and sewer, the school the district assigns, covenants, road maintenance and the rest of what never shows up on a listing.