Relocation
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.
Narrow it
7 of 25 communities
Under $400kClose to EllsworthClose to Rapid CityShort commuteNew construction availableAcreage availableCity water and sewerSmaller marketMore ruralEstablished housingNewer housingClear filtersClear everything
Price filters only consider communities with a published trailing twelve month median, so towns without one do not appear in a price filter.
Browse
The five facts that decide a shortlist
Selected, 3 of 4
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
- 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 $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.
What changes
Between Black Hawk, Hermosa, Custer
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- Black HawkRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorHermosaCentral and Southern HillsCusterCentral and Southern Hills
- County
- Black HawkMeade CountyHermosaCuster CountyCusterCuster County
- Jurisdiction
- Black HawkUnincorporated Meade CountyHermosaIncorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limitsCusterNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Corridor
- Black HawkI-90HermosaUS 79CusterUS-16
- To downtown Rapid City
- Black HawkAbout 12 to 15 minutesHermosa26 min, 18.6 miCusterAbout 50 to 60 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Black HawkAbout 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northHermosaAbout 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90CusterAbout an hour and ten minutes
Side by side
Black Hawk, Hermosa, Custer
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 | Central and Southern HillsHermosa | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | |||
| Regiondiffers | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor | Central and Southern Hills | Central and Southern Hills |
| Countydiffers | Meade County | Custer County | Custer County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Unincorporated Meade County | Incorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. |
| Corridordiffers | I-90 | US 79 | US-16 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak. | About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy. | US 79 is state maintained and is the reason the commute works. Town streets and county roads clear on their own schedule. | Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours. |
| Housing and lots | |||
| Typical pricediffers | Unincorporated, so closings report under Rapid City and Meade County rather than a Black Hawk median. Lot size and outbuildings move the price more than the street does. | 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. | Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample. |
| Housing agediffers | Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor | A mix, with older in-town stock and newer building on the edges. | Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges. |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county. |
| Acreagediffers | Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings. | Acreage parcels are common here | Acreage is common outside the city core, with wells and septic systems typical on many rural properties. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal | Small town lots inside the limits, acreage outside them. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. |
| 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 | Black Hawk Water User District | Town of Hermosa water inside the limits. The Hermosa Water Users Association is a separate system, and rural parcels are commonly on private wells. Which one serves a given address has to be checked address by address. | 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. |
| Sewerdiffers | Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic | Town sewer with lagoon treatment inside the limits, currently being expanded. Rural parcels are on private septic. | 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 | No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides. | Hermosa sits on the road to Custer State Park, which makes short-term rental a real question here. Nothing in the public record confirms a town ordinance either way, so confirm with the town before you count on the income. | Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line. |
| Schools | |||
| School districtdiffers | Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | |||
| Groceriesdiffers | No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City. | Pop's Grocery Shoppe on North Ferguson Street, a full grocery in town since 2007. Anything larger is Rapid City, 26 minutes north. | Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health Rapid City Hospital | No clinic in town. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is about 22 minutes north, and Monument Health Custer Hospital is about 27 miles southwest. | Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town. |
| Recreationdiffers | Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day. | Custer State Park is the back door, with Battle Creek running at the edge of town and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to the east. | Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup. |
| Mapped subdivisions | |||
| Outlines on filediffers | 12 mapped outlines, 5 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. |
| The trade | |||
| Housing and patterndiffers | Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next. | A working prairie town with its own grocery, library and county fairgrounds, at the point where the grassland meets the Hills. | A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits. |
| What you gaindiffers | Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules. | Elementary and middle school in town, 26 minutes from Rapid City, with larger lots and rural utility tradeoffs common outside town. | You are inside the Hills with real acreage, Custer State Park at the door, and a new hospital in a town of about 1,900. |
| What you give updiffers | There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel. | High school is 27 miles away in Custer, and the water arrangement changes parcel to parcel. | Rapid City is 50 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth over an hour, grandfathered rental permits expire when a property sells, and outside the city limits there are no county building codes. |
- Central and Southern HillsHermosa
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Hermosa
- Central and Southern Hills
- Custer
- Central and Southern Hills
Countydiffers
- Black Hawk
- Meade County
- Hermosa
- Custer County
- Custer
- Custer County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated Meade County
- Hermosa
- Incorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits
- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Corridordiffers
- Black Hawk
- I-90
- Hermosa
- US 79
- Custer
- US-16
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Black Hawk
- About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Hermosa
- 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Custer
- About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Black Hawk
- About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Hermosa
- About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak.
- Custer
- About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Black Hawk
- The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.
- Hermosa
- US 79 is state maintained and is the reason the commute works. Town streets and county roads clear on their own schedule.
- Custer
- Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated, so closings report under Rapid City and Meade County rather than a Black Hawk median. Lot size and outbuildings move the price more than the street does.
- Hermosa
- 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.
- Custer
- Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
Housing agediffers
- Black Hawk
- Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor
- Hermosa
- A mix, with older in-town stock and newer building on the edges.
- Custer
- Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
New constructiondiffers
- Black Hawk
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Hermosa
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
Acreagediffers
- Black Hawk
- Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings.
- Hermosa
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Custer
- Acreage is common outside the city core, with wells and septic systems typical on many rural properties.
Typical lotdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal
- Hermosa
- Small town lots inside the limits, acreage outside them.
- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Black Hawk
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property.
- Hermosa
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Black Hawk
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Hermosa
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Custer
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Water User District
- Hermosa
- Town of Hermosa water inside the limits. The Hermosa Water Users Association is a separate system, and rural parcels are commonly on private wells. Which one serves a given address has to be checked address by address.
- Custer
- 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.
Sewerdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic
- Hermosa
- Town sewer with lagoon treatment inside the limits, currently being expanded. Rural parcels are on private septic.
- Custer
- 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
- Black Hawk
- No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides.
- Hermosa
- Hermosa sits on the road to Custer State Park, which makes short-term rental a real question here. Nothing in the public record confirms a town ordinance either way, so confirm with the town before you count on the income.
- Custer
- Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Hermosa
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Custer
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Black Hawk
- No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City.
- Hermosa
- Pop's Grocery Shoppe on North Ferguson Street, a full grocery in town since 2007. Anything larger is Rapid City, 26 minutes north.
- Custer
- Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
Healthcarediffers
- Black Hawk
- Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
- Hermosa
- No clinic in town. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is about 22 minutes north, and Monument Health Custer Hospital is about 27 miles southwest.
- Custer
- Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town.
Recreationdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day.
- Hermosa
- Custer State Park is the back door, with Battle Creek running at the edge of town and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to the east.
- Custer
- Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Black Hawk
- 12 mapped outlines, 5 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
- Hermosa
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Custer
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next.
- Hermosa
- A working prairie town with its own grocery, library and county fairgrounds, at the point where the grassland meets the Hills.
- Custer
- A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits.
What you gaindiffers
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules.
- Hermosa
- Elementary and middle school in town, 26 minutes from Rapid City, with larger lots and rural utility tradeoffs common outside town.
- Custer
- You are inside the Hills with real acreage, Custer State Park at the door, and a new hospital in a town of about 1,900.
What you give updiffers
- Black Hawk
- There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel.
- Hermosa
- High school is 27 miles away in Custer, and the water arrangement changes parcel to parcel.
- Custer
- Rapid City is 50 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth over an hour, grandfathered rental permits expire when a property sells, and outside the city limits there are no county building codes.
Where this comes from
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.