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.
6 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
- 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.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- $340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Douglas School District 51-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 6 miles northwestDistance 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
- Split between Douglas 51-1 and Rapid City Area 51-4. Address specific.Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $349,950. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 706 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $350,000 average sold, 274 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $349,971. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 274 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Utility service varies by address. Rapid Valley Sanitary District serves portions of the area, while properties outside district service may use private wells and septic systems.
- School district
- Mostly Rapid City Area School District 51-4, with portions in Douglas 51-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- Builder inventory sets the level here, and the MLS publishes no Summerset median on its own.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 30 min, 19.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 15 min, 10.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Sewer collection is provided by the City of Summerset. Water service varies by address and can include Black Hawk Water User District or Diamond D Water in Sun Valley.
- School district
- Meade 46-1 and Rapid City Area Schools 51-4, split within the cityAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Between Blucksberg Mountain, Green Valley
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- County
- Blucksberg MountainMeade CountyGreen ValleyPennington County
- Jurisdiction
- Blucksberg MountainUnincorporated Meade CountyGreen ValleyUnincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.
- Corridor
- Blucksberg MountainI-90Green ValleySD 44
- To downtown Rapid City
- Blucksberg MountainNot measured for this page.Green ValleyAbout 6 miles northwest
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Blucksberg MountainNot measured for this page.Green ValleyAbout 15 minutes north
- Winter driving
- Blucksberg MountainThis is hill ground off the interstate. Ask who plows the interior road serving the parcel, because some are not county maintained.Green ValleyHighway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly.
Blucksberg Mountain, Green Valley
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 | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBlucksberg Mountain | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Region | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor |
| Countydiffers | Meade County | Pennington County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Unincorporated Meade County | Unincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them. |
| Corridordiffers | I-90 | SD 44 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself. | About 6 miles northwestDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself. | About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | This is hill ground off the interstate. Ask who plows the interior road serving the parcel, because some are not county maintained. | Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | No verified closed sale set is available for Blucksberg Mountain, so no price level is printed here. The five recorded plats differ enough that one figure would not describe any of them. | No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here. |
| Housing agediffers | Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges. | Mostly late twentieth century through current. |
| New constructiondiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county. | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Acreage parcels are common here | Some acreage, mostly platted town lots |
| Typical lotdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. | Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others | 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 |
| Waterdiffers | Varies by plat. Blucksberg Mountain #1 is a regulated community water system. Confirm provider and rate by parcel. | Not a single system. The Rapid Valley Sanitary District's service area extends past the Rapid Valley boundary and is the likely supplier for much of Green Valley, and there is also a separate Green Valley Sanitary District administered alongside it. Outlying parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road are on private wells. Confirm per parcel. |
| Sewerdiffers | Septic common in current listings. Confirm the system by address. | District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | Short term rental rules here come from Meade County and from the covenants on the recorded plat, not from a city ordinance. | Unincorporated county, so no municipal short-term rental ordinance applies. County zoning and any subdivision covenants govern, and state licensing applies once you rent. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Split between Douglas 51-1 and Rapid City Area 51-4. Address specific.Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address. | The Highway 44 corridor and east Rapid City, a few minutes northwest. |
| Healthcarediffers | Not recorded in this guide. Confirm the nearest clinic and hospital by address. | The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City. |
| Recreationdiffers | Not recorded in this guide. Read the guide for what residents use here. | Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | Five separate recorded plats of residential acreage on the hill between Rapid City and Sturgis, unincorporated. | Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules. |
| What you gaindiffers | Read the guide | More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north. |
| What you give updiffers | Utilities, roads and covenants change from one recorded plat to the next, so nothing you learn about one street transfers to the next one over. | A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street. |
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBlucksberg Mountain
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley
Where it sits
Region
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Green Valley
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Meade County
- Green Valley
- Pennington County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Blucksberg Mountain
- Unincorporated Meade County
- Green Valley
- Unincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.
Corridordiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- I-90
- Green Valley
- SD 44
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself.
- Green Valley
- About 6 miles northwestDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself.
- Green Valley
- About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- This is hill ground off the interstate. Ask who plows the interior road serving the parcel, because some are not county maintained.
- Green Valley
- Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- No verified closed sale set is available for Blucksberg Mountain, so no price level is printed here. The five recorded plats differ enough that one figure would not describe any of them.
- Green Valley
- No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here.
Housing agediffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
- Green Valley
- Mostly late twentieth century through current.
New constructiondiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
- Green Valley
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Green Valley
- Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Typical lotdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
- Green Valley
- Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Blucksberg Mountain
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
- Green Valley
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Green Valley
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Varies by plat. Blucksberg Mountain #1 is a regulated community water system. Confirm provider and rate by parcel.
- Green Valley
- Not a single system. The Rapid Valley Sanitary District's service area extends past the Rapid Valley boundary and is the likely supplier for much of Green Valley, and there is also a separate Green Valley Sanitary District administered alongside it. Outlying parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road are on private wells. Confirm per parcel.
Sewerdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Septic common in current listings. Confirm the system by address.
- Green Valley
- District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Short term rental rules here come from Meade County and from the covenants on the recorded plat, not from a city ordinance.
- Green Valley
- Unincorporated county, so no municipal short-term rental ordinance applies. County zoning and any subdivision covenants govern, and state licensing applies once you rent.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Green Valley
- Split between Douglas 51-1 and Rapid City Area 51-4. Address specific.Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
- Green Valley
- The Highway 44 corridor and east Rapid City, a few minutes northwest.
Healthcarediffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded in this guide. Confirm the nearest clinic and hospital by address.
- Green Valley
- The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City.
Recreationdiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded in this guide. Read the guide for what residents use here.
- Green Valley
- Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Five separate recorded plats of residential acreage on the hill between Rapid City and Sturgis, unincorporated.
- Green Valley
- Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules.
What you gaindiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Read the guide
- Green Valley
- More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north.
What you give updiffers
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Utilities, roads and covenants change from one recorded plat to the next, so nothing you learn about one street transfers to the next one over.
- Green Valley
- A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street.
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.