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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2 of 25 communities

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.

Box Elder
Typical price
$340k to $400kMedian sold $369,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 184 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.
Compare Guide
Rapid City
Typical price
$300k to $450kMedian sold $349,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 790 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.
Selected Guide

What changes

Between Lead and Deadwood, Green Valley, Rapid City

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

Region: Lead and DeadwoodNorthern Hills and I-90Green ValleyRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid CityRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
County: Lead and DeadwoodLawrence CountyGreen ValleyPennington CountyRapid CityPennington County
Jurisdiction: Lead and DeadwoodNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.Green ValleyUnincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.Rapid CityCity of Rapid City
Corridor: Lead and DeadwoodUS-385 and US-14AGreen ValleySD 44Rapid CityI-90 along the north edge
To downtown Rapid City: Lead and DeadwoodAbout 50 minutesGreen ValleyAbout 6 miles northwestRapid City5 min, 1.5 mi
To Ellsworth AFB: Lead and DeadwoodAbout 55 minutesGreen ValleyAbout 15 minutes northRapid City24 min, 13.8 mi

Side by side

Lead and Deadwood, Green Valley, Rapid City

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	Northern Hills and I-90Lead and Deadwood	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid City
Where it sits
Regiondiffers	Northern Hills and I-90	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers	Lawrence County	Pennington County	Pennington 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 city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.	City of Rapid City
Corridordiffers	US-385 and US-14A	SD 44	I-90 along the north edge
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 6 miles northwestDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.	5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers	About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.	24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers	Lead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so plowing, driveway grade and which way it faces are part of the budget.	Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly.	April is the snowiest month at 10.1 inches on average, and the city averages about five inches a month against fifteen up in the Hills.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers	$320k to $500kMedian sold $450,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 130 closed sales.	No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here.	$300k to $450kMedian sold $349,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 790 closed sales.
Housing agediffers	Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here	Mostly late twentieth century through current.	Everything from 1875 downtown streets to current new construction
New constructiondiffers	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Active, with subdivisions still building
Acreagediffers	Mountain acreage exists outside the denser town centers, with access, well, septic and winter-maintenance considerations varying by property.	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Typical lotdiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.	Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.	Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others	Few plats here carry recorded covenants	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
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	City water and sewer inside the limits
Waterdiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address.	Not a single system. The Rapid Valley Sanitary District's service area extends past the Rapid Valley boundary and is the likely supplier for much of Green Valley, and there is also a separate Green Valley Sanitary District administered alongside it. Outlying parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road are on private wells. Confirm per parcel.	City of Rapid City municipal
Sewerdiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address.	District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel.	City of Rapid City sanitary sewer
Short term rentalsdiffers	Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive.	Unincorporated county, so no municipal short-term rental ordinance applies. County zoning and any subdivision covenants govern, and state licensing applies once you rent.	Vacation rentals inside city limits are regulated, and the ordinance is recent. Read the guide before you count on rental income.
Schools
School districtdiffers	Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the 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.	Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers	Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.	The Highway 44 corridor and east Rapid City, a few minutes northwest.	Groceries, the hospital and the airport are all inside the city, so a supply run is minutes rather than a trip.
Healthcarediffers	Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area.	The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City.	Monument Health's main campus is here, which is the reason a lot of the region drives in.
Recreationdiffers	Terry Peak, a 7,100 foot summit with 1,100 feet of vertical and 30 trails, plus Deadwood gaming and the historic district.	Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction.	Main Street Square and Art Alley downtown, with Mount Rushmore southwest, Custer State Park south and the Badlands east.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers	55 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.	No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.	13 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers	High elevation historic streets, with Terry Peak, the Mickelson Trail and the Powder House Pass covenants and Community Improvement District just south of Lead.	Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules.	A working city with a real downtown, older streets with mature trees near the middle and new subdivisions on the edges.
What you gaindiffers	Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of.	More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north.	Everything the region has sits in one place: Monument Health, the airport, the widest run of housing stock, and 24 minutes to the Ellsworth gate.
What you give updiffers	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.	A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street.	You buy into the region's deepest demand, and the recent vacation rental ordinance limits what you can do with a house you do not live in.

Northern Hills and I-90Lead and Deadwood
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorGreen Valley
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid City

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Northern Hills and I-90
Green Valley: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Rapid City: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor

Countydiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Lawrence County
Green Valley: Pennington County
Rapid City: Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

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

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Green Valley: Unincorporated. No city government. Pennington County zones the lots and the County Sheriff patrols them.
Rapid City: City of Rapid City

Corridordiffers

Lead and Deadwood: US-385 and US-14A
Green Valley: SD 44
Rapid City: I-90 along the north edge

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Lead and Deadwood: About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Green Valley: About 6 miles northwestDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Rapid City: 5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Green Valley: About 15 minutes northDriving time and distance, off peak.
Rapid City: 24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

Winter drivingdiffers

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.
Green Valley: Highway 44 is a state priority. Everything off it is county, and open prairie means blowing snow reclaims a cleared road quickly.
Rapid City: April is the snowiest month at 10.1 inches on average, and the city averages about five inches a month against fifteen up in the Hills.

Housing and lots

Typical pricediffers

Lead and Deadwood: $320k to $500kMedian sold $450,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 130 closed sales.
Green Valley: No published median exists for the community. Closed sales on the specific street are the only figure worth quoting here.
Rapid City: $300k to $450kMedian sold $349,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 790 closed sales.

Housing agediffers

Lead and Deadwood: Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here
Green Valley: Mostly late twentieth century through current.
Rapid City: Everything from 1875 downtown streets to current new construction

New constructiondiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Green Valley: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Rapid City: Active, with subdivisions still building

Acreagediffers

Lead and Deadwood: Mountain acreage exists outside the denser town centers, with access, well, septic and winter-maintenance considerations varying by property.
Green Valley: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Rapid City: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots

Typical lotdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Green Valley: Generous by city standards, with larger parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road.
Rapid City: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.

Covenants and HOAdiffers

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

Lead and Deadwood: Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Green Valley: Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Rapid City: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
Green Valley: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Rapid City: City water and sewer inside the limits

Waterdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address.
Green Valley: Not a single system. The Rapid Valley Sanitary District's service area extends past the Rapid Valley boundary and is the likely supplier for much of Green Valley, and there is also a separate Green Valley Sanitary District administered alongside it. Outlying parcels toward Radar Hill and Reservoir Road are on private wells. Confirm per parcel.
Rapid City: City of Rapid City municipal

Sewerdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address.
Green Valley: District sewer where the district reaches, private septic where it does not. Confirm per parcel.
Rapid City: City of Rapid City sanitary sewer

Short term rentalsdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive.
Green Valley: Unincorporated county, so no municipal short-term rental ordinance applies. County zoning and any subdivision covenants govern, and state licensing applies once you rent.
Rapid City: Vacation rentals inside city limits are regulated, and the ordinance is recent. Read the guide before you count on rental income.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Green Valley: 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.
Rapid City: Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.

Daily errands

Groceriesdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Green Valley: The Highway 44 corridor and east Rapid City, a few minutes northwest.
Rapid City: Groceries, the hospital and the airport are all inside the city, so a supply run is minutes rather than a trip.

Healthcarediffers

Lead and Deadwood: Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area.
Green Valley: The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard for walk-in care, with the hospital in Rapid City.
Rapid City: Monument Health's main campus is here, which is the reason a lot of the region drives in.

Recreationdiffers

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.
Green Valley: Open prairie, the county land east of town, and the whole Black Hills half an hour the other direction.
Rapid City: Main Street Square and Art Alley downtown, with Mount Rushmore southwest, Custer State Park south and the Badlands east.

Mapped subdivisions

Outlines on filediffers

Lead and Deadwood: 55 mapped outlines, 0 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
Green Valley: No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
Rapid City: 13 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.

The trade

Housing and patterndiffers

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.
Green Valley: Flat prairie subdivisions east of the city, growing steadily, on county rules.
Rapid City: A working city with a real downtown, older streets with mature trees near the middle and new subdivisions on the edges.

What you gaindiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of.
Green Valley: More ground for the money six miles from Rapid City, with Ellsworth fifteen minutes north.
Rapid City: Everything the region has sits in one place: Monument Health, the airport, the widest run of housing stock, and 24 minutes to the Ellsworth gate.

What you give updiffers

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.
Green Valley: A school district line that runs through the community, and a water arrangement that changes street to street.
Rapid City: You buy into the region's deepest demand, and the recent vacation rental ordinance limits what you can do with a house you do not live in.

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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ComparingLead and Deadwood, Green Valley, Rapid City

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