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.

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1 of 25 communities

Under $400k Close to Ellsworth Close to Rapid City Short commute New construction available Acreage available City water and sewer Smaller market More rural Established housing Newer housing Clear filters Clear everything

Price filters only consider communities with a published trailing twelve month median, so towns without one do not appear in a price filter.

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Selected, 3 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.

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.
Compare Guide

What changes

Between Green Valley, Custer, Edgemont

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

Region: Green ValleyRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorCusterCentral and Southern HillsEdgemontCentral and Southern Hills
County: Green ValleyPennington CountyCusterCuster CountyEdgemontFall River County
Jurisdiction: Green ValleyUnincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.CusterNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.EdgemontIncorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
Corridor: Green ValleySD 44CusterUS-16EdgemontUS 18 and SD 471
To downtown Rapid City: Green ValleyAbout 6 miles northwestCusterAbout 50 to 60 minutesEdgemontAbout 100 miles northeast
To Ellsworth AFB: Green ValleyAbout 15 minutes northCusterAbout an hour and ten minutesEdgemontAbout 110 miles

Side by side

Green Valley, Custer, 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.

The selected Black Hills communities compared on location, housing, utilities, schools, daily errands, mapped subdivisions and the trade each one asks for
Attribute	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley	Central and Southern HillsCuster	Central and Southern HillsEdgemont
Where it sits
Regiondiffers	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Central and Southern Hills	Central and Southern Hills
Countydiffers	Pennington County	Custer County	Fall River County
JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.	Unincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.	Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
Corridordiffers	SD 44	US-16	US 18 and SD 471
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	About 6 miles northwestDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.	About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers	About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.	About an hour and ten minutesDriving 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	Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly.	Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours.	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	No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here.	Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.	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	Mostly late twentieth century through current.	Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.	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	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.	None underway
Acreagediffers	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots	Acreage is common outside the city core, with wells and septic systems typical on many rural properties.	Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers	Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.	Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them.
Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.	Few plats here carry recorded covenants	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.	Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it	City water and sewer inside the limits
Waterdiffers	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.	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 Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.
Sewerdiffers	District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel.	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, with private septic on rural parcels.
Short term rentalsdiffers	Unincorporated county, so no municipal short-term rental ordinance applies. County zoning and any subdivision covenants govern, and state licensing applies once you rent.	Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line.	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	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.	Custer School District 16-1Assignment 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	The Highway 44 corridor and east Rapid City, a few minutes northwest.	Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.	Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.
Healthcarediffers	The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City.	Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town.	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	Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction.	Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup.	The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers	Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules.	A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits.	A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains.
What you gaindiffers	More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north.	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.	More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.
What you give updiffers	A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street.	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.	A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.

Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley
Central and Southern HillsCuster
Central and Southern HillsEdgemont

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Green Valley: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Custer: Central and Southern Hills
Edgemont: Central and Southern Hills

Countydiffers

Green Valley: Pennington County
Custer: Custer County
Edgemont: Fall River County

Jurisdictiondiffers

City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.

Green Valley: Unincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.
Custer: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Edgemont: Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.

Corridordiffers

Green Valley: SD 44
Custer: US-16
Edgemont: US 18 and SD 471

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Green Valley: About 6 miles northwestDistance 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.
Edgemont: About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Green Valley: About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.
Custer: About an hour and ten minutesDriving 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

Green Valley: Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly.
Custer: Winter roads are a genuine planning factor at this distance, and on acreage you need to know who maintains yours.
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

Green Valley: No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here.
Custer: Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
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

Green Valley: Mostly late twentieth century through current.
Custer: Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
Edgemont: An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count.

New constructiondiffers

Green Valley: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Custer: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
Edgemont: None underway

Acreagediffers

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

Typical lotdiffers

Green Valley: Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road.
Custer: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
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.

Green Valley: Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Custer: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Edgemont: Few plats here carry recorded covenants

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Green Valley: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Custer: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Edgemont: City water and sewer inside the limits

Waterdiffers

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.
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.
Edgemont: City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.

Sewerdiffers

Green Valley: District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel.
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.
Edgemont: City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.

Short term rentalsdiffers

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.
Custer: Grandfathered permits are non transferable and expire when the property sells, and the rules flip at the city line.
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

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.
Custer: Custer School District 16-1Assignment 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

Green Valley: The Highway 44 corridor and east Rapid City, a few minutes northwest.
Custer: Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
Edgemont: Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.

Healthcarediffers

Green Valley: The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City.
Custer: Monument Health Custer Hospital and clinic are in town.
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

Green Valley: Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction.
Custer: Custer State Park at the door, including Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, the wildlife loop and the September buffalo roundup.
Edgemont: The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.

The trade

Housing and patterndiffers

Green Valley: Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules.
Custer: A county seat at a park entrance, with a replacement Monument Health hospital and acreage starting just past the city limits.
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

Green Valley: More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north.
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.
Edgemont: More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.

What you give updiffers

Green Valley: A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street.
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.
Edgemont: A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.

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

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ComparingGreen Valley, Custer, Edgemont

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