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.
3 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.
- 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 Keystone, Piedmont
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 corridor
- County
- KeystonePennington CountyPiedmontMeade County
- Jurisdiction
- KeystoneIncorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.PiedmontCity of Piedmont
- Corridor
- KeystoneUS 16APiedmontI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- KeystoneAbout 25 minutes northeastPiedmontAbout 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper plats
- To Ellsworth AFB
- KeystoneAbout 40 minutesPiedmont36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothills
Keystone, Piedmont
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 HillsKeystone | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Central and Southern Hills | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor |
| Countydiffers | Pennington County | Meade 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 |
| Corridordiffers | US 16A | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| New construction | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Some acreage, mostly platted town lots | Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits. | Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space |
| 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. |
| 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 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
- Central and Southern HillsKeystone
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Keystone
- Central and Southern Hills
- Piedmont
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers
- Keystone
- Pennington County
- Piedmont
- Meade 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
Corridordiffers
- Keystone
- US 16A
- Piedmont
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
New construction
- Keystone
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Piedmont
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
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.
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
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.
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Keystone
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Piedmont
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.