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.
0 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
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Between Custer, Piedmont
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- CusterCentral and Southern HillsPiedmontRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- County
- CusterCuster CountyPiedmontMeade County
- Jurisdiction
- CusterNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.PiedmontCity of Piedmont
- Corridor
- CusterUS-16PiedmontI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- CusterAbout 50 to 60 minutesPiedmontAbout 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper plats
- To Ellsworth AFB
- CusterAbout an hour and ten minutesPiedmont36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothills
Custer, Piedmont
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 | Central and Southern Hills | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor |
| Countydiffers | Custer County | Meade County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. | City of Piedmont |
| Corridordiffers | US-16 | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours. | Driveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample. | $375k to $575kMedian sold $425,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 127 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges. | Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road |
| New constructiondiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county. | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Acreage is common outside the city core, with wells and septic systems typical on many rural properties. | Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. | Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space |
| 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 | 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. | City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District |
| 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 | Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line. | A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town. | Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town. | Monument Health Rapid City Hospital |
| Recreationdiffers | Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup. | Foothills trailheads sit within minutes of town, and the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is seasonal. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 21 mapped outlines, 17 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits. | Where the prairie folds up into the foothills, with a lot of my current listing inventory on these roads. |
| What you gaindiffers | 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. | Foothills lots with elevation and pine, in Meade 46-1, with I-90 at the door and downtown Rapid City about 26 minutes south from the Prairie Haven side. |
| What you give updiffers | 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. | The city publishes very little, so rental plans, utilities and legal access get answered address by address, and a steep driveway is a winter decision. |
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Custer
- Central and Southern Hills
- Piedmont
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers
- Custer
- Custer County
- Piedmont
- Meade County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Piedmont
- City of Piedmont
Corridordiffers
- Custer
- US-16
- Piedmont
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Custer
- About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Piedmont
- About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Custer
- About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Piedmont
- 36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Custer
- Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours.
- Piedmont
- Driveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Custer
- Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
- Piedmont
- $375k to $575kMedian sold $425,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 127 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Custer
- Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
- Piedmont
- Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road
New constructiondiffers
- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
- Piedmont
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Custer
- Acreage is common outside the city core, with wells and septic systems typical on many rural properties.
- Piedmont
- Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.
Typical lotdiffers
- Custer
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
- Piedmont
- Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Custer
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Piedmont
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- 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.
- Piedmont
- City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District
Sewer
- 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.
- Piedmont
- 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
- Custer
- Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line.
- Piedmont
- A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Custer
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Piedmont
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Custer
- Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
- Piedmont
- Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Healthcarediffers
- Custer
- Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town.
- Piedmont
- Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Recreationdiffers
- Custer
- Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup.
- Piedmont
- Foothills trailheads sit within minutes of town, and the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is seasonal.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Custer
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Piedmont
- 21 mapped outlines, 17 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Custer
- A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits.
- Piedmont
- Where the prairie folds up into the foothills, with a lot of my current listing inventory on these roads.
What you gaindiffers
- 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.
- Piedmont
- Foothills lots with elevation and pine, in Meade 46-1, with I-90 at the door and downtown Rapid City about 26 minutes south from the Prairie Haven side.
What you give updiffers
- 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.
- Piedmont
- The city publishes very little, so rental plans, utilities and legal access get answered address by address, and a steep driveway is a winter decision.
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.