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.
1 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
- $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.
Between Hermosa, Black Hawk
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- HermosaCentral and Southern HillsBlack HawkRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- County
- HermosaCuster CountyBlack HawkMeade County
- Jurisdiction
- HermosaIncorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limitsBlack HawkUnincorporated Meade County
- Corridor
- HermosaUS 79Black HawkI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- Hermosa26 min, 18.6 miBlack HawkAbout 12 to 15 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- HermosaAbout 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Black HawkAbout 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just north
Hermosa, Black Hawk
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 | Central and Southern HillsHermosa | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Incorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits | Unincorporated Meade County |
| Corridordiffers | US 79 | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak. | About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | US 79 is state maintained and is the reason the commute works. Town streets and county roads clear on their own schedule. | The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | 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. | 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. |
| Housing agediffers | A mix, with older in-town stock and newer building on the edges. | Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor |
| New construction | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Acreage parcels are common here | Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Small town lots inside the limits, acreage outside them. | Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property. |
| 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 | Town of Hermosa water inside the limits. The Hermosa Water Users Association is a separate system, and rural parcels are commonly on private wells. Which one serves a given address has to be checked address by address. | Black Hawk Water User District |
| Sewerdiffers | Town sewer with lagoon treatment inside the limits, currently being expanded. Rural parcels are on private septic. | Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | Hermosa sits on the road to Custer State Park, which makes short-term rental a real question here. Nothing in the public record confirms a town ordinance either way, so confirm with the town before you count on the income. | No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Pop's Grocery Shoppe on North Ferguson Street, a full grocery in town since 2007. Anything larger is Rapid City, 26 minutes north. | No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City. |
| Healthcarediffers | No clinic in town. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is about 22 minutes north, and Monument Health Custer Hospital is about 27 miles southwest. | Monument Health Rapid City Hospital |
| Recreationdiffers | Custer State Park is the back door, with Battle Creek running at the edge of town and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to the east. | Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 12 mapped outlines, 5 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A working prairie town with its own grocery, library and county fairgrounds, at the point where the grassland meets the Hills. | Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next. |
| What you gaindiffers | Elementary and middle school in town, 26 minutes from Rapid City, with larger lots and rural utility tradeoffs common outside town. | Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules. |
| What you give updiffers | High school is 27 miles away in Custer, and the water arrangement changes parcel to parcel. | There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel. |
- Central and Southern HillsHermosa
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Hermosa
- Central and Southern Hills
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers
- Hermosa
- Custer County
- Black Hawk
- Meade County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Hermosa
- Incorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated Meade County
Corridordiffers
- Hermosa
- US 79
- Black Hawk
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Hermosa
- 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Black Hawk
- About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Hermosa
- About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak.
- Black Hawk
- About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Hermosa
- US 79 is state maintained and is the reason the commute works. Town streets and county roads clear on their own schedule.
- Black Hawk
- The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Hermosa
- 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.
- Black Hawk
- 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.
Housing agediffers
- Hermosa
- A mix, with older in-town stock and newer building on the edges.
- Black Hawk
- Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor
New construction
- Hermosa
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Black Hawk
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Hermosa
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Black Hawk
- Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings.
Typical lotdiffers
- Hermosa
- Small town lots inside the limits, acreage outside them.
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Hermosa
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Black Hawk
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property.
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Hermosa
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Black Hawk
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Hermosa
- Town of Hermosa water inside the limits. The Hermosa Water Users Association is a separate system, and rural parcels are commonly on private wells. Which one serves a given address has to be checked address by address.
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Water User District
Sewerdiffers
- Hermosa
- Town sewer with lagoon treatment inside the limits, currently being expanded. Rural parcels are on private septic.
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Hermosa
- Hermosa sits on the road to Custer State Park, which makes short-term rental a real question here. Nothing in the public record confirms a town ordinance either way, so confirm with the town before you count on the income.
- Black Hawk
- No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Hermosa
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Hermosa
- Pop's Grocery Shoppe on North Ferguson Street, a full grocery in town since 2007. Anything larger is Rapid City, 26 minutes north.
- Black Hawk
- No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City.
Healthcarediffers
- Hermosa
- No clinic in town. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is about 22 minutes north, and Monument Health Custer Hospital is about 27 miles southwest.
- Black Hawk
- Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Recreationdiffers
- Hermosa
- Custer State Park is the back door, with Battle Creek running at the edge of town and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to the east.
- Black Hawk
- Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Hermosa
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Black Hawk
- 12 mapped outlines, 5 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Hermosa
- A working prairie town with its own grocery, library and county fairgrounds, at the point where the grassland meets the Hills.
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next.
What you gaindiffers
- Hermosa
- Elementary and middle school in town, 26 minutes from Rapid City, with larger lots and rural utility tradeoffs common outside town.
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules.
What you give updiffers
- Hermosa
- High school is 27 miles away in Custer, and the water arrangement changes parcel to parcel.
- Black Hawk
- There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel.
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.