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.
5 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
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
- 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.
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 Black Hawk, Spearfish
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 corridorSpearfishNorthern Hills and I-90
- County
- Black HawkMeade CountySpearfishLawrence County
- Jurisdiction
- Black HawkUnincorporated Meade CountySpearfishNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- To downtown Rapid City
- Black HawkAbout 12 to 15 minutesSpearfish53 min, 47.8 mi
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Black HawkAbout 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northSpearfish68 min, 57.0 mi
- Winter driving
- Black HawkThe road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.SpearfishChinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor.
Black Hawk, Spearfish
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Meade County | Lawrence County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Unincorporated Meade County | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. |
| Corridor | I-90 | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 53 min, 47.8 miDriving 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. | 68 min, 57.0 miDriving 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. | Chinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor. |
| 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. | $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor | Older stock in the middle, edge subdivisions built 1996 to 2023 |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | New construction remains active on the edges of town, including areas such as Sky Ridge and other newer developments. |
| Acreagediffers | Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings. | Acreage is available around Spearfish, primarily on surrounding Lawrence County ground rather than in the city core. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. |
| Covenants and HOACovenants 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. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others |
| Utilities and rules | ||
| Utility patterndiffers | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it | City water and sewer are typical inside city-served areas. Acreage outside the city can use wells, septic systems or other service arrangements, so utilities should be confirmed by address. |
| Waterdiffers | Black Hawk Water User District | City water inside the Spearfish limits. Acreage outside the limits runs on a private well or a rural water district.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 | City sewer inside the Spearfish limits, private septic on acreage 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. | The city studied rules in 2023 and 2024 and maintains an official short term rental page. Verify the current ordinance first. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment 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. | Full-service grocery options in town include Walmart, Safeway and Lueders Food Centers. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health Rapid City Hospital | Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and outpatient clinics are in town. |
| Recreationdiffers | Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day. | D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Black Hills State University events, and Terry Peak and Deadwood a short drive south. |
| 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. | 25 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next. | A university town with a walkable middle, growing fast enough that new construction has moved to the edges. |
| 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. | A downtown you can walk across, Black Hills State and Spearfish Canyon out the back door, on city water and sewer. |
| 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. | The highest median sold price of the region's higher volume markets at $475,000 across 199 sales, and Rapid City is 53 minutes on the interstate with the Ellsworth gate 68. |
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Spearfish
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Black Hawk
- Meade County
- Spearfish
- Lawrence County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated Meade County
- Spearfish
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Corridor
- Black Hawk
- I-90
- Spearfish
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Black Hawk
- About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Spearfish
- 53 min, 47.8 miDriving 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.
- Spearfish
- 68 min, 57.0 miDriving 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.
- Spearfish
- Chinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor.
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.
- Spearfish
- $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Black Hawk
- Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor
- Spearfish
- Older stock in the middle, edge subdivisions built 1996 to 2023
New constructiondiffers
- Black Hawk
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Spearfish
- New construction remains active on the edges of town, including areas such as Sky Ridge and other newer developments.
Acreagediffers
- Black Hawk
- Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings.
- Spearfish
- Acreage is available around Spearfish, primarily on surrounding Lawrence County ground rather than in the city core.
Typical lotdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal
- Spearfish
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Covenants and HOA
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.
- Spearfish
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Black Hawk
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Spearfish
- City water and sewer are typical inside city-served areas. Acreage outside the city can use wells, septic systems or other service arrangements, so utilities should be confirmed by address.
Waterdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Water User District
- Spearfish
- City water inside the Spearfish limits. Acreage outside the limits runs on a private well or a rural water district.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
- Spearfish
- City sewer inside the Spearfish limits, private septic on acreage 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.
- Spearfish
- The city studied rules in 2023 and 2024 and maintains an official short term rental page. Verify the current ordinance first.
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.
- Spearfish
- Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment 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.
- Spearfish
- Full-service grocery options in town include Walmart, Safeway and Lueders Food Centers.
Healthcarediffers
- Black Hawk
- Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
- Spearfish
- Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and outpatient clinics are in town.
Recreationdiffers
- Black Hawk
- Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day.
- Spearfish
- D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Black Hills State University events, and Terry Peak and Deadwood a short drive south.
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.
- Spearfish
- 25 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next.
- Spearfish
- A university town with a walkable middle, growing fast enough that new construction has moved to the edges.
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.
- Spearfish
- A downtown you can walk across, Black Hills State and Spearfish Canyon out the back door, on city water and sewer.
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.
- Spearfish
- The highest median sold price of the region's higher volume markets at $475,000 across 199 sales, and Rapid City is 53 minutes on the interstate with the Ellsworth gate 68.
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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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.