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.
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Between Belle Fourche, Whitewood
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- County
- Belle FourcheButte CountyWhitewoodLawrence County
- Corridor
- Belle FourcheUS-85 and SD-34WhitewoodI-90 and US-85
- To downtown Rapid City
- Belle FourcheAbout 55 to 60 minutesWhitewoodAbout 35 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Belle FourcheAbout an hourWhitewoodAbout 40 minutes
- Winter driving
- Belle FourcheOut on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing.WhitewoodI-90 and US-85 are state maintained. The town streets and the roads out past them clear on their own schedule.
- Typical price
- Belle Fourche$275k to $375kWhitewoodNo town median is published for Whitewood, and it sits in Lawrence County, which the Mount Rushmore Area MLS covers rather than the Black Hills feed behind the figures here. Prices sit under Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood, each about ten minutes out.
Belle Fourche, Whitewood
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 | Northern Hills and I-90Whitewood |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Region | Northern Hills and I-90 | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Butte County | Lawrence County |
| Corridordiffers | US-85 and SD-34 | I-90 and US-85 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 35 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak. | 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. | I-90 and US-85 are state maintained. The town streets and the roads out past them clear on their own schedule. |
| 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. | No town median is published for Whitewood, and it sits in Lawrence County, which the Mount Rushmore Area MLS covers rather than the Black Hills feed behind the figures here. Prices sit under Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood, each about ten minutes out. |
| Housing agediffers | Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges | Older and modest through town, so systems matter more than finishes. |
| New construction | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | 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. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Generous in town, acreage out past it | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. |
| 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 |
| Water | 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. | 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. |
| Sewer | 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. | 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. |
| 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. | No short term rental provisions in the city code, and Rally season renting is common here under state rules. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Meade School District 46-1, despite being in Lawrence CountyAssignment 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. | No full-service grocery store is in Whitewood. Most larger grocery trips go to Sturgis or Spearfish. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish. | Monument Health Sturgis HospitalNo hospital in Whitewood. Sturgis is the nearer of the two, with Spearfish next. |
| 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. | Sturgis and Bear Butte State Park about eight miles east, Deadwood 10 to 12 miles southwest, Spearfish and Spearfish Canyon 10 to 12 miles northwest. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 23 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| 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 quiet main street with Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood each about ten minutes out and the interstate right there. |
| What you gaindiffers | A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town. | Small town prices with three larger towns about ten minutes out in three directions, in Meade 46-1 despite sitting in Lawrence County. |
| 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. | Anything past the basics is a drive to Sturgis, Spearfish or Deadwood, and there are no published MLS figures for the town on its own. |
- Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche
- Northern Hills and I-90Whitewood
Where it sits
Region
- Belle Fourche
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Whitewood
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Butte County
- Whitewood
- Lawrence County
Corridordiffers
- Belle Fourche
- US-85 and SD-34
- Whitewood
- I-90 and US-85
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Belle Fourche
- About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Whitewood
- About 35 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Whitewood
- 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.
- Whitewood
- I-90 and US-85 are state maintained. The town streets and the roads out past them clear on their own schedule.
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.
- Whitewood
- No town median is published for Whitewood, and it sits in Lawrence County, which the Mount Rushmore Area MLS covers rather than the Black Hills feed behind the figures here. Prices sit under Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood, each about ten minutes out.
Housing agediffers
- Belle Fourche
- Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges
- Whitewood
- Older and modest through town, so systems matter more than finishes.
New construction
- Belle Fourche
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Whitewood
- 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.
- Whitewood
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
Typical lotdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Generous in town, acreage out past it
- Whitewood
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Belle Fourche
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Whitewood
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Water
- 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.
- Whitewood
- 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.
Sewer
- 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.
- Whitewood
- 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.
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.
- Whitewood
- No short term rental provisions in the city code, and Rally season renting is common here under state rules.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Belle Fourche
- Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Whitewood
- Meade School District 46-1, despite being in Lawrence CountyAssignment 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.
- Whitewood
- No full-service grocery store is in Whitewood. Most larger grocery trips go to Sturgis or Spearfish.
Healthcarediffers
- Belle Fourche
- Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish.
- Whitewood
- Monument Health Sturgis HospitalNo hospital in Whitewood. Sturgis is the nearer of the two, with Spearfish next.
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.
- Whitewood
- Sturgis and Bear Butte State Park about eight miles east, Deadwood 10 to 12 miles southwest, Spearfish and Spearfish Canyon 10 to 12 miles northwest.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Belle Fourche
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Whitewood
- 23 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
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.
- Whitewood
- A quiet main street with Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood each about ten minutes out and the interstate right there.
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.
- Whitewood
- Small town prices with three larger towns about ten minutes out in three directions, in Meade 46-1 despite sitting in Lawrence County.
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.
- Whitewood
- Anything past the basics is a drive to Sturgis, Spearfish or Deadwood, and there are no published MLS figures for the town on its own.
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
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