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 Hot Springs, Lead and Deadwood
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- Hot SpringsCentral and Southern HillsLead and DeadwoodNorthern Hills and I-90
- County
- Hot SpringsFall River CountyLead and DeadwoodLawrence County
- Corridor
- Hot SpringsUS-79 and US-18Lead and DeadwoodUS-385 and US-14A
- To downtown Rapid City
- Hot SpringsAbout 60 minutesLead and DeadwoodAbout 50 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Hot SpringsAbout an hour and fifteen minutesLead and DeadwoodAbout 55 minutes
- Winter driving
- Hot SpringsChinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move.Lead and DeadwoodLead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so plowing, driveway grade and which way it faces are part of the budget.
Hot Springs, Lead and Deadwood
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Central and Southern Hills | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Fall River County | Lawrence County |
| Corridordiffers | US-79 and US-18 | US-385 and US-14A |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Chinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move. | Lead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so plowing, driveway grade and which way it faces are part of the budget. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales. | $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | Older homes near downtown, acreage outside it | Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here |
| New constructiondiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county. | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Acreage is common outside the town core and is one of the more accessible rural-property options in the southern Black Hills. | Mountain acreage exists outside the denser town centers, with access, well, septic and winter-maintenance considerations varying by property. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others |
| Utilities and rules | ||
| Short term rentalsdiffers | No city ordinance I can locate as of August 2026, and unincorporated Fall River County does not administer zoning districts, so the county building, septic and access permits are the controls that apply. | Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Full-service grocery options in town include Sonny's Super Foods and Lynn's Dakotamart. | Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address. |
| Healthcarediffers | Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs. | Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area. |
| Recreationdiffers | Evans Plunge, the city run mineral springs pool, the Mammoth Site dig in the middle of town, Wind Cave National Park about 11 miles out and Angostura Reservoir about 10 miles for lake days. | Terry Peak, a 7,100 foot summit with 1,100 feet of vertical and 30 trails, plus Deadwood gaming and the historic district. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 55 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A sandstone downtown built along the Fall River, with Evans Plunge and Angostura close and water in every direction. | High elevation historic streets, with Terry Peak, the Mickelson Trail and the Powder House Pass covenants and Community Improvement District just south of Lead. |
| What you gaindiffers | Chinook favored foothills that keep winters warmer and drier than the northern Hills, a sandstone downtown on the Fall River, and acreage minutes out of town at a $315,150 median. | Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of. |
| What you give updiffers | Rapid City is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, which is a lot of highway for a daily commute. | Lead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so snow removal and vehicle choice are line items, and three jurisdictions inside a few miles answer rental questions differently. |
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Hot Springs
- Central and Southern Hills
- Lead and Deadwood
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Hot Springs
- Fall River County
- Lead and Deadwood
- Lawrence County
Corridordiffers
- Hot Springs
- US-79 and US-18
- Lead and Deadwood
- US-385 and US-14A
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Hot Springs
- About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Lead and Deadwood
- About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Hot Springs
- About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Lead and Deadwood
- About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Chinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Lead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so plowing, driveway grade and which way it faces are part of the budget.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Hot Springs
- Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales.
- Lead and Deadwood
- $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Hot Springs
- Older homes near downtown, acreage outside it
- Lead and Deadwood
- Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here
New constructiondiffers
- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Hot Springs
- Acreage is common outside the town core and is one of the more accessible rural-property options in the southern Black Hills.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Mountain acreage exists outside the denser town centers, with access, well, septic and winter-maintenance considerations varying by property.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Utilities and rules
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Hot Springs
- No city ordinance I can locate as of August 2026, and unincorporated Fall River County does not administer zoning districts, so the county building, septic and access permits are the controls that apply.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Full-service grocery options in town include Sonny's Super Foods and Lynn's Dakotamart.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Healthcarediffers
- Hot Springs
- Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area.
Recreationdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Evans Plunge, the city run mineral springs pool, the Mammoth Site dig in the middle of town, Wind Cave National Park about 11 miles out and Angostura Reservoir about 10 miles for lake days.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Terry Peak, a 7,100 foot summit with 1,100 feet of vertical and 30 trails, plus Deadwood gaming and the historic district.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Hot Springs
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Lead and Deadwood
- 55 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Hot Springs
- A sandstone downtown built along the Fall River, with Evans Plunge and Angostura close and water in every direction.
- Lead and Deadwood
- High elevation historic streets, with Terry Peak, the Mickelson Trail and the Powder House Pass covenants and Community Improvement District just south of Lead.
What you gaindiffers
- Hot Springs
- Chinook favored foothills that keep winters warmer and drier than the northern Hills, a sandstone downtown on the Fall River, and acreage minutes out of town at a $315,150 median.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of.
What you give updiffers
- Hot Springs
- Rapid City is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, which is a lot of highway for a daily commute.
- Lead and Deadwood
- Lead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so snow removal and vehicle choice are line items, and three jurisdictions inside a few miles answer rental questions differently.
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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