Henry Roy Real Estate, Ascend Realty, Rapid City South Dakota
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

25 of 25 communities

Under $400kClose to EllsworthClose to Rapid CityShort commuteNew construction availableAcreage availableCity water and sewerSmaller marketMore ruralEstablished housingNewer housingClear 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, 4 of 4

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.

  • Black Hawk

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Blucksberg Mountain

    Typical price
    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.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself.
    To downtown Rapid City
    Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself.
    Utility pattern
    Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
    School district
    Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Box Elder

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Colonial Pine Hills

    Typical price
    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.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    Roughly 6 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    Utility pattern
    Mostly private well and septic
    School district
    Rapid City Area School District 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    SelectedGuide

  • Green Valley

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Piedmont

    Typical price
    $375k to $575kMedian sold $425,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 127 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
    School district
    Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Rapid City

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Rapid Valley

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Summerset

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

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.

  • Belle Fourche

    Typical price
    $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
    School district
    Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Lead and Deadwood

    Typical price
    $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
    School district
    Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Newell

    Typical price
    No figure published. Newell is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so any count from that feed is a floor rather than this town's price level.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 60 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
    School district
    Newell School District 09-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Spearfish

    Typical price
    $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    68 min, 57.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    53 min, 47.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    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.
    School district
    Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • St. Onge

    Typical price
    No figure published. St. Onge is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so a zero here would be a gap in the data rather than a fact about the market.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 45 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 44 miles, roughly 48 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Mostly private well and septic
    School district
    Spearfish 40-2 at the townsite, with Belle Fourche 09-1 to the north and Meade 46-1 to the east. Parcel specific.Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Sturgis

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Whitewood

    Typical price
    No town median is published for Whitewood, and it sits in Lawrence County, which the Mount Rushmore Area MLS covers rather than the Black Hills feed behind the figures here. Prices sit under Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood, each about ten minutes out.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 35 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
    School district
    Meade School District 46-1, despite being in Lawrence CountyAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

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.

  • Buffalo Gap

    Typical price
    One single family sale shows in the Black Hills MLS over 24 months, at $80,000. One closing is a sample of one rather than a price level, so read it that way.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 55 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 45 miles, roughly 56 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
    School district
    Hot Springs School District 23-2, despite the town being in Custer CountyAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Custer

    Typical price
    Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 50 to 60 minutesDriving 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.
    SelectedGuide

  • Edgemont

    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.
    SelectedGuide

  • Hermosa

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Hill City

    Typical price
    Median sold $519,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 45 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 30 to 35 minutes on US-16Driving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
    School district
    Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Hot Springs

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Keystone

    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.
    SelectedGuide

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.

  • New Underwood

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

  • Wall

    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.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide
What changes

Between Edgemont, Custer, Keystone, Colonial Pine Hills

The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.

Region
EdgemontCentral and Southern HillsCusterCentral and Southern HillsKeystoneCentral and Southern HillsColonial Pine HillsRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
County
EdgemontFall River CountyCusterCuster CountyKeystonePennington CountyColonial Pine HillsPennington County
Jurisdiction
EdgemontIncorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.CusterNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.KeystoneIncorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.Colonial Pine HillsUnincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County zones the lots, issues the permits and patrols the roads.
Corridor
EdgemontUS 18 and SD 471CusterUS-16KeystoneUS 16AColonial Pine HillsUS 16 and Sheridan Lake Road
To downtown Rapid City
EdgemontAbout 100 miles northeastCusterAbout 50 to 60 minutesKeystoneAbout 25 minutes northeastColonial Pine HillsRoughly 6 miles northeast
To Ellsworth AFB
EdgemontAbout 110 milesCusterAbout an hour and ten minutesKeystoneAbout 40 minutesColonial Pine HillsAbout 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid City
Side by side

Edgemont, Custer, Keystone, Colonial Pine Hills

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.

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Edgemont
Central and Southern Hills
Custer
Central and Southern Hills
Keystone
Central and Southern Hills
Colonial Pine Hills
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor

Countydiffers

Edgemont
Fall River County
Custer
Custer County
Keystone
Pennington County
Colonial Pine Hills
Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.
Edgemont
Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
Custer
Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Keystone
Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.
Colonial Pine Hills
Unincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County zones the lots, issues the permits and patrols the roads.

Corridordiffers

Edgemont
US 18 and SD 471
Custer
US-16
Keystone
US 16A
Colonial Pine Hills
US 16 and Sheridan Lake Road

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Edgemont
About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Custer
About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Keystone
About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
Colonial Pine Hills
Roughly 6 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Edgemont
About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Custer
About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Keystone
About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Colonial Pine Hills
About 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityDriving time and distance, off peak.

Winter drivingdiffers

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.
Custer
Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours.
Keystone
Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads.
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.

Housing and lots

Typical pricediffers

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.
Custer
Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
Keystone
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.
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.

Housing agediffers

Edgemont
An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count.
Custer
Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
Keystone
An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins.
Colonial Pine Hills
Platted over several decades, so 1970s cabins and current builds sit on the same road.

New constructiondiffers

Edgemont
None underway
Custer
Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
Keystone
Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Colonial Pine Hills
Limited, mostly infill and small projects

Acreagediffers

Edgemont
Acreage parcels are common here
Custer
Acreage is common outside the city core, with wells and septic systems typical on many rural properties.
Keystone
Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Colonial Pine Hills
Acreage parcels are common here

Typical lotdiffers

Edgemont
Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them.
Custer
Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Keystone
Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits.
Colonial Pine Hills
Large by Rapid City standards, from generous lots to several acres.

Covenants and HOAdiffers

Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.
Edgemont
Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Custer
Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Keystone
Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Colonial Pine Hills
Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Edgemont
City water and sewer inside the limits
Custer
Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Keystone
Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Colonial Pine Hills
Mostly private well and septic

Waterdiffers

Edgemont
City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.
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.
Keystone
Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells.
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.

Sewerdiffers

Edgemont
City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.
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.
Keystone
Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic.
Colonial Pine Hills
Private on-site septic throughout, permitted by Pennington County. There is no municipal sewer and no lagoon serving the area.

Short term rentalsdiffers

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.
Custer
Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line.
Keystone
A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing.
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.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Edgemont
Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment 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.
Keystone
Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Colonial Pine Hills
Rapid City Area School District 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.

Daily errands

Groceriesdiffers

Edgemont
Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.
Custer
Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
Keystone
Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast.
Colonial Pine Hills
Everything is in Rapid City, roughly fifteen minutes down US 16.

Healthcarediffers

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.
Custer
Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town.
Keystone
No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital.
Colonial Pine Hills
No clinic up here. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital and the Rapid City clinics are the answer.

Recreationdiffers

Edgemont
The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.
Custer
Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup.
Keystone
Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close.
Colonial Pine Hills
Sheridan Lake, Pactola, the Mickelson Trail and the whole central Hills network start where the subdivisions end.

The trade

Housing and patterndiffers

Edgemont
A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains.
Custer
A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits.
Keystone
An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors.
Colonial Pine Hills
Ponderosa pine subdivisions platted over decades, no two alike, on county rules six miles from the city.

What you gaindiffers

Edgemont
More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.
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.
Keystone
Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property.
Colonial Pine Hills
Hills elevation, trees and lot size with a Rapid City commute and Rapid City schools.

What you give updiffers

Edgemont
A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.
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.
Keystone
A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter.
Colonial Pine Hills
Well or association water, septic on every parcel, private roads in places, and wildfire exposure that affects insurance.
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

Contact

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.

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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.

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