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.
4 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
- $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.
Between Green Valley, Whitewood
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 corridorWhitewoodNorthern Hills and I-90
- County
- Green ValleyPennington CountyWhitewoodLawrence County
- Jurisdiction
- Green ValleyUnincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.WhitewoodNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Corridor
- Green ValleySD 44WhitewoodI-90 and US-85
- To downtown Rapid City
- Green ValleyAbout 6 miles northwestWhitewoodAbout 35 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Green ValleyAbout 15 minutes northWhitewoodAbout 40 minutes
Green Valley, Whitewood
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 corridorGreen Valley | Northern Hills and I-90Whitewood |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Pennington County | Lawrence 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. |
| Corridordiffers | SD 44 | I-90 and US-85 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 6 miles northwestDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | About 35 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly. | I-90 and US-85 are state maintained. The town streets and the roads out past them clear on their own schedule. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Housing agediffers | Mostly late twentieth century through current. | Older and modest through town, so systems matter more than finishes. |
| New construction | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Some acreage, mostly platted town lots | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. | No short term rental provisions in the city code, and Rally season renting is common here under state rules. |
| 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. | Meade School District 46-1, despite being in Lawrence CountyAssignment 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. | No full-service grocery store is in Whitewood. Most larger grocery trips go to Sturgis or Spearfish. |
| Healthcarediffers | The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City. | Monument Health Sturgis HospitalNo hospital in Whitewood. Sturgis is the nearer of the two, with Spearfish next. |
| Recreationdiffers | Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction. | Sturgis and Bear Butte State Park about eight miles east, Deadwood 10 to 12 miles southwest, Spearfish and Spearfish Canyon 10 to 12 miles northwest. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 23 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules. | A quiet main street with Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood each about ten minutes out and the interstate right there. |
| What you gaindiffers | More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north. | Small town prices with three larger towns about ten minutes out in three directions, in Meade 46-1 despite sitting in Lawrence County. |
| What you give updiffers | A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street. | Anything past the basics is a drive to Sturgis, Spearfish or Deadwood, and there are no published MLS figures for the town on its own. |
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley
- Northern Hills and I-90Whitewood
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Green Valley
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Whitewood
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Green Valley
- Pennington County
- Whitewood
- Lawrence 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.
- Whitewood
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Corridordiffers
- Green Valley
- SD 44
- Whitewood
- I-90 and US-85
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.
- Whitewood
- About 35 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Green Valley
- About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Whitewood
- About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
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.
- Whitewood
- I-90 and US-85 are state maintained. The town streets and the roads out past them clear on their own schedule.
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.
- Whitewood
- 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.
Housing agediffers
- Green Valley
- Mostly late twentieth century through current.
- Whitewood
- Older and modest through town, so systems matter more than finishes.
New construction
- Green Valley
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Whitewood
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Green Valley
- Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
- Whitewood
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
Typical lotdiffers
- Green Valley
- Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road.
- Whitewood
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Green Valley
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Whitewood
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Green Valley
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Whitewood
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
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.
- Whitewood
- 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.
Sewerdiffers
- Green Valley
- District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel.
- Whitewood
- 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
- 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.
- Whitewood
- No short term rental provisions in the city code, and Rally season renting is common here under state rules.
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.
- Whitewood
- Meade School District 46-1, despite being in Lawrence CountyAssignment 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.
- Whitewood
- No full-service grocery store is in Whitewood. Most larger grocery trips go to Sturgis or Spearfish.
Healthcarediffers
- Green Valley
- The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City.
- Whitewood
- Monument Health Sturgis HospitalNo hospital in Whitewood. Sturgis is the nearer of the two, with Spearfish next.
Recreationdiffers
- Green Valley
- Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction.
- Whitewood
- Sturgis and Bear Butte State Park about eight miles east, Deadwood 10 to 12 miles southwest, Spearfish and Spearfish Canyon 10 to 12 miles northwest.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Green Valley
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Whitewood
- 23 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Green Valley
- Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules.
- Whitewood
- A quiet main street with Sturgis, Spearfish and Deadwood each about ten minutes out and the interstate right there.
What you gaindiffers
- Green Valley
- More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north.
- Whitewood
- Small town prices with three larger towns about ten minutes out in three directions, in Meade 46-1 despite sitting in Lawrence County.
What you give updiffers
- Green Valley
- A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street.
- Whitewood
- Anything past the basics is a drive to Sturgis, Spearfish or Deadwood, and there are no published MLS figures for the town on its own.
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.