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.
6 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
- 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.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- 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.
- Typical price
- Builder inventory sets the level here, and the MLS publishes no Summerset median on its own.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 30 min, 19.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 15 min, 10.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Sewer collection is provided by the City of Summerset. Water service varies by address and can include Black Hawk Water User District or Diamond D Water in Sun Valley.
- School district
- Meade 46-1 and Rapid City Area Schools 51-4, split within the cityAssignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Between Hot Springs, St. Onge
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 HillsSt. OngeNorthern Hills and I-90
- County
- Hot SpringsFall River CountySt. OngeLawrence County
- Jurisdiction
- Hot SpringsNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.St. OngeUnincorporated. No town government. Lawrence County zones the parcels and the Sheriff patrols them.
- Corridor
- Hot SpringsUS-79 and US-18St. OngeSD 34, with I-90 seven miles southeast at Whitewood
- To downtown Rapid City
- Hot SpringsAbout 60 minutesSt. OngeAbout 44 miles, roughly 48 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Hot SpringsAbout an hour and fifteen minutesSt. OngeAbout 45 miles
Hot Springs, St. Onge
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 | Northern Hills and I-90St. Onge | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Central and Southern Hills | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Fall River County | Lawrence County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. | Unincorporated. No town government. Lawrence County zones the parcels and the Sheriff patrols them. |
| Corridordiffers | US-79 and US-18 | SD 34, with I-90 seven miles southeast at Whitewood |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 44 miles, roughly 48 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 45 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Chinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move. | Highway 34 is state maintained and connects three directions. County and private roads off it are a different conversation. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales. | No figure published. St. Onge is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so a zero here would be a gap in the data rather than a fact about the market. |
| Housing agediffers | Older homes near downtown, acreage outside it | An 1891 townsite with genuinely old buildings, surrounded by ranch and acreage property of every era. |
| 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. | Acreage parcels are common here |
| Typical lotdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. | Small townsite lots, with acreage and ranch ground around them. |
| 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. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants |
| Utilities and rules | ||
| Utility patterndiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address. | Mostly private well and septic |
| Waterdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address. | The Saint Onge Sewer and Water Company serves about 78 connections around the townsite, with a clean compliance record. Parcels outside that system are on private wells. There is no rural water district covering this area. |
| Sewerdiffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address. | The water company's name implies sewer service, but I have not been able to verify from the public record which parcels it reaches. Assume private septic outside the townsite and confirm the rest before closing. |
| 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. | Unincorporated Lawrence County, so no municipal ordinance applies. Note that unincorporated Lawrence County declined to require a vacation home rental permit, so there is no county permit to obtain either. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Spearfish 40-2 at the townsite, with Belle Fourche 09-1 to the north and Meade 46-1 to the east. Parcel specific.Assignment 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. | Nothing in town. Spearfish is eleven miles southeast and Belle Fourche thirteen northwest. |
| Healthcarediffers | Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs. | Monument Health Spearfish Hospital, a 35 bed facility with a 24 hour emergency department, about 18 minutes away. |
| 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. | Creek bottoms, hay ground and hunting country, with Spearfish Canyon and the northern Hills half an hour away. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A sandstone downtown built along the Fall River, with Evans Plunge and Angostura close and water in every direction. | An 1891 French-Canadian railroad townsite that is now a cattle auction crossroads and an acreage corridor. |
| 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. | The cheapest ground in the northern Hills that still puts you eleven miles from a hospital and sixteen from three towns. |
| 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. | A three-way school district split you have to verify per parcel, and no services of any kind in town. |
- Northern Hills and I-90St. Onge
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Hot Springs
- Central and Southern Hills
- St. Onge
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Hot Springs
- Fall River County
- St. Onge
- Lawrence County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- St. Onge
- Unincorporated. No town government. Lawrence County zones the parcels and the Sheriff patrols them.
Corridordiffers
- Hot Springs
- US-79 and US-18
- St. Onge
- SD 34, with I-90 seven miles southeast at Whitewood
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Hot Springs
- About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- St. Onge
- About 44 miles, roughly 48 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Hot Springs
- About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- St. Onge
- About 45 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Chinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move.
- St. Onge
- Highway 34 is state maintained and connects three directions. County and private roads off it are a different conversation.
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.
- St. Onge
- No figure published. St. Onge is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so a zero here would be a gap in the data rather than a fact about the market.
Housing agediffers
- Hot Springs
- Older homes near downtown, acreage outside it
- St. Onge
- An 1891 townsite with genuinely old buildings, surrounded by ranch and acreage property of every era.
New constructiondiffers
- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
- St. Onge
- 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.
- St. Onge
- Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
- St. Onge
- Small townsite lots, with acreage and ranch ground around them.
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.
- St. Onge
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- St. Onge
- Mostly private well and septic
Waterdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address.
- St. Onge
- The Saint Onge Sewer and Water Company serves about 78 connections around the townsite, with a clean compliance record. Parcels outside that system are on private wells. There is no rural water district covering this area.
Sewerdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address.
- St. Onge
- The water company's name implies sewer service, but I have not been able to verify from the public record which parcels it reaches. Assume private septic outside the townsite and confirm the rest before closing.
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.
- St. Onge
- Unincorporated Lawrence County, so no municipal ordinance applies. Note that unincorporated Lawrence County declined to require a vacation home rental permit, so there is no county permit to obtain either.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Hot Springs
- Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- St. Onge
- Spearfish 40-2 at the townsite, with Belle Fourche 09-1 to the north and Meade 46-1 to the east. Parcel specific.Assignment 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.
- St. Onge
- Nothing in town. Spearfish is eleven miles southeast and Belle Fourche thirteen northwest.
Healthcarediffers
- Hot Springs
- Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs.
- St. Onge
- Monument Health Spearfish Hospital, a 35 bed facility with a 24 hour emergency department, about 18 minutes away.
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.
- St. Onge
- Creek bottoms, hay ground and hunting country, with Spearfish Canyon and the northern Hills half an hour away.
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.
- St. Onge
- An 1891 French-Canadian railroad townsite that is now a cattle auction crossroads and an acreage corridor.
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.
- St. Onge
- The cheapest ground in the northern Hills that still puts you eleven miles from a hospital and sixteen from three towns.
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.
- St. Onge
- A three-way school district split you have to verify per parcel, and no services of any kind in town.
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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