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.
5 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
- $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.
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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
Between Hill City, Belle Fourche
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- Hill CityCentral and Southern HillsBelle FourcheNorthern Hills and I-90
- County
- Hill CityPennington CountyBelle FourcheButte County
- Corridor
- Hill CityUS-16Belle FourcheUS-85 and SD-34
- To downtown Rapid City
- Hill CityAbout 30 to 35 minutes on US-16Belle FourcheAbout 55 to 60 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Hill CityAbout 45 minutesBelle FourcheAbout an hour
- Winter driving
- Hill CityUS-16 is state maintained. The forest roads off it climb, and elevation adds snow to whatever falls in town.Belle FourcheOut on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing.
Hill City, Belle Fourche
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 HillsHill City | Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Central and Southern Hills | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Pennington County | Butte County |
| Corridordiffers | US-16 | US-85 and SD-34 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 30 to 35 minutes on US-16Driving time and distance, off peak. | About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 45 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | US-16 is state maintained. The forest roads off it climb, and elevation adds snow to whatever falls in town. | Out on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | Median sold $519,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales. | $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges. | Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited infill and small-scale new construction occur around Hill City rather than large production neighborhoods. | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size. | Larger lots and acreage become more common around the edges of Belle Fourche and in nearby rural subdivisions. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. | Generous in town, acreage out past it |
| Utilities and rules | ||
| Utility patterndiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address. | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it |
| Waterdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address. | 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 | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address. | 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 | Existing short term rental rights in residential zones do not transfer when a property sells. That is the trap. | General zoning and state rules do the work in Belle Fourche. Confirm the lodging use category with city hall for the address before you count on rental income. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Krull's Market is a full-service grocery store in town. | Full-service grocery options in town include Lueders Food Centers and Lynn's Dakotamart. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health has a clinic in Hill City. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City, roughly 30 to 35 minutes away in clear conditions. | Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish. |
| Recreationdiffers | The 1880 Train departs downtown, Crazy Horse Memorial is about 12 miles away, and Stone Faces Winery and Naked Winery are close. | The Geographic Center of the Nation monument, the Tri-State Museum, and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo every Fourth of July week since 1918. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A small mountain main street that triples every summer and empties out by October, with the 1880 Train leaving from downtown. | A ranching hub with a working main street, mature trees and a rodeo the whole town turns out for. |
| What you gaindiffers | Main Street in the middle of the central hills, the Mickelson Trail through town, Sylvan Lake and Crazy Horse a short drive, and 30 to 35 minutes to Rapid City on US-16. | A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town. |
| What you give updiffers | Rental rights do not survive a sale, and only 13 homes closed here in twelve months, so pricing rests on a small sample. | Rapid City is 55 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth about an hour, so this is a commute you pick on purpose. |
- Central and Southern HillsHill City
- Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Hill City
- Central and Southern Hills
- Belle Fourche
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Hill City
- Pennington County
- Belle Fourche
- Butte County
Corridordiffers
- Hill City
- US-16
- Belle Fourche
- US-85 and SD-34
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Hill City
- About 30 to 35 minutes on US-16Driving time and distance, off peak.
- Belle Fourche
- About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Hill City
- About 45 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Belle Fourche
- About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Hill City
- US-16 is state maintained. The forest roads off it climb, and elevation adds snow to whatever falls in town.
- Belle Fourche
- Out on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Hill City
- Median sold $519,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- Belle Fourche
- $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Hill City
- Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
- Belle Fourche
- Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges
New constructiondiffers
- Hill City
- Limited infill and small-scale new construction occur around Hill City rather than large production neighborhoods.
- Belle Fourche
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Hill City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
- Belle Fourche
- Larger lots and acreage become more common around the edges of Belle Fourche and in nearby rural subdivisions.
Typical lotdiffers
- Hill City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
- Belle Fourche
- Generous in town, acreage out past it
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Hill City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- Belle Fourche
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Hill City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address.
- Belle Fourche
- 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
- Hill City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address.
- Belle Fourche
- 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
- Hill City
- Existing short term rental rights in residential zones do not transfer when a property sells. That is the trap.
- Belle Fourche
- General zoning and state rules do the work in Belle Fourche. Confirm the lodging use category with city hall for the address before you count on rental income.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Hill City
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Belle Fourche
- Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Hill City
- Krull's Market is a full-service grocery store in town.
- Belle Fourche
- Full-service grocery options in town include Lueders Food Centers and Lynn's Dakotamart.
Healthcarediffers
- Hill City
- Monument Health has a clinic in Hill City. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City, roughly 30 to 35 minutes away in clear conditions.
- Belle Fourche
- Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish.
Recreationdiffers
- Hill City
- The 1880 Train departs downtown, Crazy Horse Memorial is about 12 miles away, and Stone Faces Winery and Naked Winery are close.
- Belle Fourche
- The Geographic Center of the Nation monument, the Tri-State Museum, and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo every Fourth of July week since 1918.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Hill City
- A small mountain main street that triples every summer and empties out by October, with the 1880 Train leaving from downtown.
- Belle Fourche
- A ranching hub with a working main street, mature trees and a rodeo the whole town turns out for.
What you gaindiffers
- Hill City
- Main Street in the middle of the central hills, the Mickelson Trail through town, Sylvan Lake and Crazy Horse a short drive, and 30 to 35 minutes to Rapid City on US-16.
- Belle Fourche
- A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town.
What you give updiffers
- Hill City
- Rental rights do not survive a sale, and only 13 homes closed here in twelve months, so pricing rests on a small sample.
- Belle Fourche
- Rapid City is 55 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth about an hour, so this is a commute you pick on purpose.
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.