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.
4 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
- 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.
Between Lead and Deadwood, Sturgis
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- County
- Lead and DeadwoodLawrence CountySturgisMeade County
- Corridor
- Lead and DeadwoodUS-385 and US-14ASturgisI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- Lead and DeadwoodAbout 50 minutesSturgis33 min, 28.9 mi
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Lead and DeadwoodAbout 55 minutesSturgis48 min, 38.2 mi
- Winter driving
- Lead and DeadwoodLead averages 183.9 inches of snow a year, so plowing, driveway grade and which way it faces are part of the budget.SturgisI-90 is state maintained and the city clears its own streets. The county roads out past the edges clear later.
- Typical price
- Lead and Deadwood$320k to $500kSturgis$300k to $450k
Lead and Deadwood, Sturgis
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Region | Northern Hills and I-90 | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Lawrence County | Meade County |
| Corridordiffers | US-385 and US-14A | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 33 min, 28.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 48 min, 38.2 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. | I-90 is state maintained and the city clears its own streets. The county roads out past the edges clear later. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales. | $300k to $450kMedian sold $365,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 97 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here | Older near the core, newer on the edges |
| New construction | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | 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. | Acreage becomes more common outside the city core, including areas east of Sturgis and along the surrounding canyon and prairie corridors. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. |
| Utilities and rules | ||
| Short term rentalsdiffers | Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive. | No short term rental licensing ordinance. What the city does regulate is residential camping during the Rally. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment 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 | Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address. | Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area. | Monument Health Sturgis Hospital and clinic are in town. |
| Recreationdiffers | Terry Peak, a 7,100 foot summit with 1,100 feet of vertical and 30 trails, plus Deadwood gaming and the historic district. | Bear Butte State Park, Fort Meade Recreation Area and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum, with the northern hills toward Spearfish and Deadwood close. |
| 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. | 9 mapped outlines, 8 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. | A full Main Street town with its own grocery, hospital and high school, and Bear Butte on the horizon. |
| What you gaindiffers | Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of. | A town that stands on its own, grocery, hospital and high school inside it, at a price per square foot below Rapid City. |
| 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. | Half an hour of interstate each way to Rapid City, and for the first two weeks of August the Rally is your town. |
Where it sits
Region
- Lead and Deadwood
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Sturgis
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- Lawrence County
- Sturgis
- Meade County
Corridordiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- US-385 and US-14A
- Sturgis
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Sturgis
- 33 min, 28.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Sturgis
- 48 min, 38.2 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.
- Sturgis
- I-90 is state maintained and the city clears its own streets. The county roads out past the edges clear later.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales.
- Sturgis
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $365,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 97 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- Historic stock, plus Powder House Pass as the newest product up here
- Sturgis
- Older near the core, newer on the edges
New construction
- Lead and Deadwood
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Sturgis
- 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.
- Sturgis
- Acreage becomes more common outside the city core, including areas east of Sturgis and along the surrounding canyon and prairie corridors.
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
- Sturgis
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Utilities and rules
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- Three jurisdictions within a few miles give three different answers. This is where guessing gets expensive.
- Sturgis
- No short term rental licensing ordinance. What the city does regulate is residential camping during the Rally.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Sturgis
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment 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.
- Sturgis
- Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
Healthcarediffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital and clinic provide hospital-level and outpatient care in the area.
- Sturgis
- Monument Health Sturgis Hospital and clinic are in town.
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.
- Sturgis
- Bear Butte State Park, Fort Meade Recreation Area and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum, with the northern hills toward Spearfish and Deadwood close.
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.
- Sturgis
- 9 mapped outlines, 8 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.
- Sturgis
- A full Main Street town with its own grocery, hospital and high school, and Bear Butte on the horizon.
What you gaindiffers
- Lead and Deadwood
- Elevation, Terry Peak measured in minutes, the Mickelson Trail and historic streets you cannot build a copy of.
- Sturgis
- A town that stands on its own, grocery, hospital and high school inside it, at a price per square foot below Rapid City.
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.
- Sturgis
- Half an hour of interstate each way to Rapid City, and for the first two weeks of August the Rally is your 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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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.