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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5 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.

Black Hawk
Typical price
Median sold $348,949Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 48 closed sales.
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.
Selected Guide
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.
Compare Guide
Rapid Valley
Typical price
About $351,000 average sold, 283 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $350,670. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through early October 2026, as of October 2026. 283 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.
Selected Guide
Summerset
Typical price
Median sold $445,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 53 closed sales.
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.
Compare Guide

What changes

Between Lead and Deadwood, Rapid Valley, Black Hawk

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-90Rapid ValleyRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBlack HawkRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
County: Lead and DeadwoodLawrence CountyRapid ValleyPennington CountyBlack HawkMeade County
Jurisdiction: Lead and DeadwoodNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.Rapid ValleyUnincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County is the governing body, and Rapid City's subdivision rules still apply within three miles of the city limits.Black HawkUnincorporated Meade County
Corridor: Lead and DeadwoodUS-385 and US-14ARapid ValleySD 44 and Elk Vale RoadBlack HawkI-90
To downtown Rapid City: Lead and DeadwoodAbout 50 minutesRapid Valley11 min, 5.2 miBlack HawkAbout 12 to 15 minutes
To Ellsworth AFB: Lead and DeadwoodAbout 55 minutesRapid Valley22 min, 10.4 miBlack HawkAbout 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just north

Side by side

Lead and Deadwood, Rapid Valley, Black Hawk

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 corridorRapid Valley	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBlack Hawk
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	Meade 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. There is no city government. Pennington County is the governing body, and Rapid City's subdivision rules still apply within three miles of the city limits.	Unincorporated Meade County
Corridordiffers	US-385 and US-14A	SD 44 and Elk Vale Road	I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers	About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving 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 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.	The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.
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.	About $351,000 average sold, 283 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $350,670. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through early October 2026, as of October 2026. 283 closed sales.	Median sold $348,949Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 48 closed sales.
Housing agediffers	Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here	Mostly late twentieth century through current, with active building on the edges.	Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor
New constructiondiffers	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Active, with subdivisions still building	Limited, mostly infill and small projects
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	Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings.
Typical lotdiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.	Suburban lots through the core, larger parcels toward Reservoir and Radar Hill Roads.	Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal
Covenants and HOACovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.	Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others	Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others	Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property.
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.	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.	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address.	Rapid Valley Sanitary District, treating Rapid Creek water at its own plant, with the ability to buy treated water from Rapid City at peak demand. Parcels outside the district are on private wells.	Black Hawk Water User District
Sewerdiffers	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address.	Rapid Valley Sanitary District owns and maintains the collection system, and Rapid City treats the wastewater under an intergovernmental agreement. Parcels outside the district are on private septic.	Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic
Fire protectiondiffersThe responding department and the distance to it both affect an insurance quote.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.	Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which also provides EMS and wildland response.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.
Short term rentalsdiffers	Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive.	Unincorporated Pennington County has no city short-term rental ordinance to comply with, which is not the same as no rules. County zoning and any subdivision covenants still govern, and state licensing applies.	No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides.
Schools
School districtdiffers	Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the 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.	Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment 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.	Retail and everyday shopping run along Highway 44 on the southern edge, with additional grocery options a few minutes west in Rapid City.	No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City.
Healthcarediffers	Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area.	Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic provides primary and urgent care in the community. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.	Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Recreationdiffers	Terry Peak, a 7,100 foot summit with 1,100 feet of vertical and 30 trails, plus Deadwood gaming and the historic district.	Rapid Creek, the county parks east of town, and everything the Hills offer half an hour west.	Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day.
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.	12 mapped outlines, 5 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.	The region's largest unincorporated community: suburban streets, high ownership, county government.	Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next.
What you gaindiffers	Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of.	Rapid City schools and a five mile commute without Rapid City property taxes, plus a walk-in clinic in the neighborhood.	Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules.
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.	No city services, a sanitary district bill instead of a city utility bill, and an annexation line that only the parcel record can settle.	There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel.

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

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

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

Countydiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Lawrence County
Rapid Valley: Pennington County
Black Hawk: Meade 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.
Rapid Valley: Unincorporated. There is no city government. Pennington County is the governing body, and Rapid City's subdivision rules still apply within three miles of the city limits.
Black Hawk: Unincorporated Meade County

Corridordiffers

Lead and Deadwood: US-385 and US-14A
Rapid Valley: SD 44 and Elk Vale Road
Black Hawk: I-90

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Lead and Deadwood: About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Rapid Valley: 11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Black Hawk: About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Rapid Valley: 22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Black Hawk: About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving 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.
Rapid Valley: Highway 44 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.
Black Hawk: The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.

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.
Rapid Valley: About $351,000 average sold, 283 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $350,670. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through early October 2026, as of October 2026. 283 closed sales.
Black Hawk: Median sold $348,949Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 48 closed sales.

Housing agediffers

Lead and Deadwood: Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here
Rapid Valley: Mostly late twentieth century through current, with active building on the edges.
Black Hawk: Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor

New constructiondiffers

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

Acreagediffers

Lead and Deadwood: Mountain acreage exists outside the denser town centers, with access, well, septic and winter-maintenance considerations varying by property.
Rapid Valley: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Black Hawk: Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings.

Typical lotdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Rapid Valley: Suburban lots through the core, larger parcels toward Reservoir and Radar Hill Roads.
Black Hawk: Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal

Covenants and HOA

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

Lead and Deadwood: Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Rapid Valley: Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Black Hawk: Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property.

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

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

Waterdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the provider for the address.
Rapid Valley: Rapid Valley Sanitary District, treating Rapid Creek water at its own plant, with the ability to buy treated water from Rapid City at peak demand. Parcels outside the district are on private wells.
Black Hawk: Black Hawk Water User District

Sewerdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify the service for the address.
Rapid Valley: Rapid Valley Sanitary District owns and maintains the collection system, and Rapid City treats the wastewater under an intergovernmental agreement. Parcels outside the district are on private septic.
Black Hawk: Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic

Fire protectiondiffers

The responding department and the distance to it both affect an insurance quote.

Lead and Deadwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.
Rapid Valley: Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which also provides EMS and wildland response.
Black Hawk: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.

Short term rentalsdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive.
Rapid Valley: Unincorporated Pennington County has no city short-term rental ordinance to comply with, which is not the same as no rules. County zoning and any subdivision covenants still govern, and state licensing applies.
Black Hawk: No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Rapid Valley: 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.
Black Hawk: Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment 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.
Rapid Valley: Retail and everyday shopping run along Highway 44 on the southern edge, with additional grocery options a few minutes west in Rapid City.
Black Hawk: No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City.

Healthcarediffers

Lead and Deadwood: Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area.
Rapid Valley: Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic provides primary and urgent care in the community. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.
Black Hawk: Monument Health Rapid City Hospital

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.
Rapid Valley: Rapid Creek, the county parks east of town, and everything the Hills offer half an hour west.
Black Hawk: Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day.

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.
Rapid Valley: No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
Black Hawk: 12 mapped outlines, 5 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.
Rapid Valley: The region's largest unincorporated community: suburban streets, high ownership, county government.
Black Hawk: Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next.

What you gaindiffers

Lead and Deadwood: Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of.
Rapid Valley: Rapid City schools and a five mile commute without Rapid City property taxes, plus a walk-in clinic in the neighborhood.
Black Hawk: Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules.

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.
Rapid Valley: No city services, a sanitary district bill instead of a city utility bill, and an annexation line that only the parcel record can settle.
Black Hawk: There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel.

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, Rapid Valley, Black Hawk

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