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 Colonial Pine Hills, Edgemont
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- Colonial Pine HillsRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorEdgemontCentral and Southern Hills
- County
- Colonial Pine HillsPennington CountyEdgemontFall River County
- Jurisdiction
- Colonial Pine HillsUnincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County zones the lots, issues the permits and patrols the roads.EdgemontIncorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
- Corridor
- Colonial Pine HillsUS 16 and Sheridan Lake RoadEdgemontUS 18 and SD 471
- To downtown Rapid City
- Colonial Pine HillsRoughly 6 miles northeastEdgemontAbout 100 miles northeast
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Colonial Pine HillsAbout 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityEdgemontAbout 110 miles
Colonial Pine Hills, Edgemont
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 corridorColonial Pine Hills | Central and Southern HillsEdgemont |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor | Central and Southern Hills |
| Countydiffers | Pennington County | Fall River County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Unincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County zones the lots, issues the permits and patrols the roads. | Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits. |
| Corridordiffers | US 16 and Sheridan Lake Road | US 18 and SD 471 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | Roughly 6 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | You are 900 feet above Rapid City on grades, and some subdivision roads are privately plowed. Snow tires are not a luxury item up here. | Cold semi-arid country with a recorded low of 40 below. US 18 is the lifeline and it is a long way to anywhere in a storm. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | 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. | 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. |
| Housing agediffers | Platted over several decades, so 1970s cabins and current builds sit on the same road. | An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count. |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | None underway |
| Acreage | Acreage parcels are common here | Acreage parcels are common here |
| Typical lotdiffers | Large by Rapid City standards, from generous lots to several acres. | Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them. |
| 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 patterndiffers | Mostly private well and septic | City water and sewer inside the limits |
| Waterdiffers | Depends entirely on the parcel. The Colonial Pine Hills Sanitary District serves roughly 430 connections. Several separate water associations serve other pockets, and the rest of the area is on private wells. | City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells. |
| Sewerdiffers | Private on-site septic throughout, permitted by Pennington County. There is no municipal sewer and no lagoon serving the area. | City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | This is unincorporated county, so there is no municipal short-term rental ordinance. County zoning and subdivision covenants are what govern, and the covenants out here are often stricter than the county. | Edgemont is not a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is work crews, hunting season and Rally traffic passing through, not visitors staying to see something. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Rapid City Area School District 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Everything is in Rapid City, roughly fifteen minutes down US 16. | Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more. |
| Healthcarediffers | No clinic up here. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital and the Rapid City clinics are the answer. | No hospital in town. Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs is a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department. |
| Recreationdiffers | Sheridan Lake, Pactola, the Mickelson Trail and the whole central Hills network start where the subdivisions end. | The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | Ponderosa pine subdivisions platted over decades, no two alike, on county rules six miles from the city. | A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains. |
| What you gaindiffers | Hills elevation, trees and lot size with a Rapid City commute and Rapid City schools. | More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities. |
| What you give updiffers | Well or association water, septic on every parcel, private roads in places, and wildfire exposure that affects insurance. | A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy. |
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorColonial Pine Hills
- Central and Southern HillsEdgemont
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Edgemont
- Central and Southern Hills
Countydiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Pennington County
- Edgemont
- Fall River County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Colonial Pine Hills
- Unincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County zones the lots, issues the permits and patrols the roads.
- Edgemont
- Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
Corridordiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- US 16 and Sheridan Lake Road
- Edgemont
- US 18 and SD 471
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Roughly 6 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Edgemont
- About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- About 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Edgemont
- About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- You are 900 feet above Rapid City on grades, and some subdivision roads are privately plowed. Snow tires are not a luxury item up here.
- Edgemont
- Cold semi-arid country with a recorded low of 40 below. US 18 is the lifeline and it is a long way to anywhere in a storm.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- 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.
- Edgemont
- 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.
Housing agediffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Platted over several decades, so 1970s cabins and current builds sit on the same road.
- Edgemont
- An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count.
New constructiondiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Edgemont
- None underway
Acreage
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Edgemont
- Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Large by Rapid City standards, from generous lots to several acres.
- Edgemont
- Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Colonial Pine Hills
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
- Edgemont
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Mostly private well and septic
- Edgemont
- City water and sewer inside the limits
Waterdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Depends entirely on the parcel. The Colonial Pine Hills Sanitary District serves roughly 430 connections. Several separate water associations serve other pockets, and the rest of the area is on private wells.
- Edgemont
- City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.
Sewerdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Private on-site septic throughout, permitted by Pennington County. There is no municipal sewer and no lagoon serving the area.
- Edgemont
- City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- This is unincorporated county, so there is no municipal short-term rental ordinance. County zoning and subdivision covenants are what govern, and the covenants out here are often stricter than the county.
- Edgemont
- Edgemont is not a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is work crews, hunting season and Rally traffic passing through, not visitors staying to see something.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Rapid City Area School District 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Edgemont
- Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Everything is in Rapid City, roughly fifteen minutes down US 16.
- Edgemont
- Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.
Healthcarediffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- No clinic up here. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital and the Rapid City clinics are the answer.
- Edgemont
- No hospital in town. Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs is a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department.
Recreationdiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Sheridan Lake, Pactola, the Mickelson Trail and the whole central Hills network start where the subdivisions end.
- Edgemont
- The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Ponderosa pine subdivisions platted over decades, no two alike, on county rules six miles from the city.
- Edgemont
- A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains.
What you gaindiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Hills elevation, trees and lot size with a Rapid City commute and Rapid City schools.
- Edgemont
- More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.
What you give updiffers
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Well or association water, septic on every parcel, private roads in places, and wildfire exposure that affects insurance.
- Edgemont
- A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.
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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