Relocation

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.

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Under $400k Close to Ellsworth Close to Rapid City Short commute New construction available Acreage available City water and sewer Smaller market More rural Established housing Newer housing Clear filters Clear everything

Price filters only consider communities with a published trailing twelve month median, so towns without one do not appear in a price filter.

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The five facts that decide a shortlist

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Selected, 3 of 4

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.

Rapid City
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.
Compare Guide

What changes

Between Keystone, Piedmont, Box Elder

The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.

Region: KeystoneCentral and Southern HillsPiedmontRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBox ElderRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
County: KeystonePennington CountyPiedmontMeade CountyBox ElderPennington County
Jurisdiction: KeystoneIncorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.PiedmontCity of PiedmontBox ElderCity of Box Elder
Corridor: KeystoneUS 16APiedmontI-90Box ElderI-90
To downtown Rapid City: KeystoneAbout 25 minutes northeastPiedmontAbout 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsBox Elder19 min, 10.9 mi
To Ellsworth AFB: KeystoneAbout 40 minutesPiedmont36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsBox Elder9 min, 2.3 mi

Side by side

Keystone, Piedmont, Box Elder

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.

The selected Black Hills communities compared on location, housing, utilities, schools, daily errands, mapped subdivisions and the trade each one asks for
Attribute	Central and Southern HillsKeystone	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorPiedmont	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBox Elder
Where it sits
Regiondiffers	Central and Southern Hills	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers	Pennington County	Meade County	Pennington County
JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.	Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.	City of Piedmont	City of Box Elder
Corridordiffers	US 16A	I-90	I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.	19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers	About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak.	9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers	Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads.	Driveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes.	I-90 is state maintained and the city clears the newer plats. Box Elder publishes no plow priority map, so ask a neighbor how the street clears after a real storm.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers	About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample.	$375k to $575kMedian sold $425,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 127 closed sales.	$340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales.
Housing agediffers	An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins.	Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road	Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement
New constructiondiffers	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Active, with subdivisions still building
Acreagediffers	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots	Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
Typical lotdiffers	Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits.	Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space	Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats
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.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it	City water and sewer inside the limits
Waterdiffers	Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells.	City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District	City of Box Elder municipal
Sewerdiffers	Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic.	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.	City of Box Elder municipal
Short term rentalsdiffers	A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing.	A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.	A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up.
Schools
School districtdiffers	Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.	Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.	Douglas School District 51-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers	Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast.	Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.	Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
Healthcarediffers	No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital.	Monument Health Rapid City Hospital	Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.
Recreationdiffers	Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close.	Foothills trailheads sit within minutes of town, and the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is seasonal.	The Liberty Center, the city park and ballfield network, and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum are the in-town recreation. The Badlands are a day trip, not your neighborhood park.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers	No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.	21 mapped outlines, 17 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.	16 mapped outlines, 3 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers	An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors.	Where the prairie folds up into the foothills, with a lot of my current listing inventory on these roads.	A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned.
What you gaindiffers	Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property.	Foothills lots with elevation and pine, in Meade 46-1, with I-90 at the door and downtown Rapid City about 26 minutes south from the Prairie Haven side.	The Ellsworth main gate is in town, 9 minutes from most addresses, on city water and sewer, with the region's newest housing pipeline.
What you give updiffers	A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter.	The city publishes very little, so rental plans, utilities and legal access get answered address by address, and a steep driveway is a winter decision.	Comparable sales run thin inside brand new subdivisions and builder incentives move the effective price without moving the list price. I-90 fills at shift change, and the flight line is close enough that you hear it.

Central and Southern HillsKeystone
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorPiedmont
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBox Elder

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Keystone: Central and Southern Hills
Piedmont: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Box Elder: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor

Countydiffers

Keystone: Pennington County
Piedmont: Meade County
Box Elder: Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.

Keystone: Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.
Piedmont: City of Piedmont
Box Elder: City of Box Elder

Corridordiffers

Keystone: US 16A
Piedmont: I-90
Box Elder: I-90

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Keystone: About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
Piedmont: About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.
Box Elder: 19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Keystone: About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Piedmont: 36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak.
Box Elder: 9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

Winter drivingdiffers

Keystone: Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads.
Piedmont: Driveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes.
Box Elder: I-90 is state maintained and the city clears the newer plats. Box Elder publishes no plow priority map, so ask a neighbor how the street clears after a real storm.

Housing and lots

Typical pricediffers

Keystone: About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample.
Piedmont: $375k to $575kMedian sold $425,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 127 closed sales.
Box Elder: $340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales.

Housing agediffers

Keystone: An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins.
Piedmont: Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road
Box Elder: Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement

New constructiondiffers

Keystone: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Piedmont: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Box Elder: Active, with subdivisions still building

Acreagediffers

Keystone: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Piedmont: Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.
Box Elder: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.

Typical lotdiffers

Keystone: Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits.
Piedmont: Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space
Box Elder: Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats

Covenants and HOAdiffers

Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.

Keystone: Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Piedmont: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Box Elder: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Keystone: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Piedmont: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Box Elder: City water and sewer inside the limits

Waterdiffers

Keystone: Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells.
Piedmont: City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District
Box Elder: City of Box Elder municipal

Sewerdiffers

Keystone: Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic.
Piedmont: 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.
Box Elder: City of Box Elder municipal

Short term rentalsdiffers

Keystone: A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing.
Piedmont: A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.
Box Elder: A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Keystone: Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Piedmont: Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Box Elder: Douglas School District 51-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.

Daily errands

Groceriesdiffers

Keystone: Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast.
Piedmont: Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Box Elder: Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.

Healthcarediffers

Keystone: No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital.
Piedmont: Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Box Elder: Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.

Recreationdiffers

Keystone: Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close.
Piedmont: Foothills trailheads sit within minutes of town, and the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is seasonal.
Box Elder: The Liberty Center, the city park and ballfield network, and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum are the in-town recreation. The Badlands are a day trip, not your neighborhood park.

Mapped subdivisions

Outlines on filediffers

Keystone: No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
Piedmont: 21 mapped outlines, 17 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
Box Elder: 16 mapped outlines, 3 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.

The trade

Housing and patterndiffers

Keystone: An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors.
Piedmont: Where the prairie folds up into the foothills, with a lot of my current listing inventory on these roads.
Box Elder: A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned.

What you gaindiffers

Keystone: Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property.
Piedmont: Foothills lots with elevation and pine, in Meade 46-1, with I-90 at the door and downtown Rapid City about 26 minutes south from the Prairie Haven side.
Box Elder: The Ellsworth main gate is in town, 9 minutes from most addresses, on city water and sewer, with the region's newest housing pipeline.

What you give updiffers

Keystone: A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter.
Piedmont: The city publishes very little, so rental plans, utilities and legal access get answered address by address, and a steep driveway is a winter decision.
Box Elder: Comparable sales run thin inside brand new subdivisions and builder incentives move the effective price without moving the list price. I-90 fills at shift change, and the flight line is close enough that you hear it.

Where this comes from

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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ComparingKeystone, Piedmont, Box Elder

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