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.
7 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
Northern Hills and I-90
The Sturgis to Belle Fourche side of the Hills, with its own hospitals, schools and employers, so a job in Spearfish or Sturgis does not have to mean a Rapid City commute.
- Typical price
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $365,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 97 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- 48 min, 38.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 33 min, 28.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Central and Southern Hills
In the timber and on the far southern edge, where lots get larger, well and septic get common, and the drive to a full service hospital becomes part of the decision.
- Typical price
- About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $650,000 average sold, 28 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $648,229. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 28 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- 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.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Prairie and Badlands
East of the Hills on the open prairie, where lots run larger, water is often a private well, services are thinner and the wind and the drive are the tradeoffs.
- Typical price
- About $320,000 average sold, 20 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $319,585. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 20 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 11 miles, exit 78 to the main gate at exit 67ADistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 18 miles west on I-90Distance 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
- New Underwood School District 51-3Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- About $270,000 average sold, 19 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $270,435. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 19 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 43 miles westDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- School district
- Wall School District 51-5Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Between Newell, Hermosa
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- NewellNorthern Hills and I-90HermosaCentral and Southern Hills
- County
- NewellButte CountyHermosaCuster County
- Jurisdiction
- NewellIncorporated municipality of Newell, with Butte County outside the limits.HermosaIncorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits
- Corridor
- NewellUS 212 and SD 79HermosaUS 79
- To downtown Rapid City
- NewellAbout 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesHermosa26 min, 18.6 mi
- To Ellsworth AFB
- NewellAbout 60 milesHermosaAbout 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90
Newell, Hermosa
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 | Northern Hills and I-90Newell | Central and Southern HillsHermosa |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Northern Hills and I-90 | Central and Southern Hills |
| Countydiffers | Butte County | Custer County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Incorporated municipality of Newell, with Butte County outside the limits. | Incorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits |
| Corridordiffers | US 212 and SD 79 | US 79 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 60 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | US 212 and SD 79 are state maintained, and the state rebuilt the Nisland to Newell stretch and the south junction in 2025. Off the highway it is open country and wind moves snow. | US 79 is state maintained and is the reason the commute works. Town streets and county roads clear on their own schedule. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | No figure published. Newell is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so any count from that feed is a floor rather than this town's price level. | About $650,000 average sold, 28 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $648,229. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 28 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | A 1910 townsite, so genuinely old in-town stock with newer building scattered around it. | A mix, with older in-town stock and newer building on the edges. |
| New construction | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreage | Acreage parcels are common here | Acreage parcels are common here |
| Typical lotdiffers | Small townsite lots, then irrigated project acreage, then rangeland, in that order as you drive out. | Small town lots inside the limits, acreage outside them. |
| Covenants and HOACovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Few plats here carry recorded covenants |
| 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 Newell municipal water inside the limits, from groundwater, serving about 378 connections. Rural properties are on the Butte-Meade Sanitary Water District or on private wells. Irrigation water from the Belle Fourche Irrigation District is an entirely separate thing from domestic water. | Town of Hermosa water inside the limits. The Hermosa Water Users Association is a separate system, and rural parcels are commonly on private wells. Which one serves a given address has to be checked address by address. |
| Sewerdiffers | Municipal sewer inside the limits, billed monthly alongside water. Rural parcels are on private septic. | Town sewer with lagoon treatment inside the limits, currently being expanded. Rural parcels are on private septic. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | Newell is an agricultural town rather than a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is hunting season, Rally week and ag events, not year-round visitors. | Hermosa sits on the road to Custer State Park, which makes short-term rental a real question here. Nothing in the public record confirms a town ordinance either way, so confirm with the town before you count on the income. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Newell School District 09-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | A grocery store and a hardware store in town, with Belle Fourche about 25 miles for anything larger. | Pop's Grocery Shoppe on North Ferguson Street, a full grocery in town since 2007. Anything larger is Rapid City, 26 minutes north. |
| Healthcarediffers | No hospital or clinic in Newell. Sturgis is about 26 miles, Spearfish about 37, and Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. | No clinic in town. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is about 22 minutes north, and Monument Health Custer Hospital is about 27 miles southwest. |
| Recreationdiffers | A nine-hole golf course, the Newell Museum, the Belle Fourche Reservoir north of town, and hunting in every direction. | Custer State Park is the back door, with Battle Creek running at the edge of town and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to the east. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A federal reclamation townsite from 1910 at the center of a 57,000 acre irrigation project, with a sale barn and its own school. | A working prairie town with its own grocery, library and county fairgrounds, at the point where the grassland meets the Hills. |
| What you gaindiffers | A complete small town with its own K through 12 school and irrigated ground around it, at prices the Hills corridor cannot touch. | Elementary and middle school in town, 26 minutes from Rapid City, with larger lots and rural utility tradeoffs common outside town. |
| What you give updiffers | Seventy minutes to Rapid City, 26 miles to a hospital, and an irrigation district assessment that attaches to the land as a lien. | High school is 27 miles away in Custer, and the water arrangement changes parcel to parcel. |
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Newell
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Hermosa
- Central and Southern Hills
Countydiffers
- Newell
- Butte County
- Hermosa
- Custer County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Newell
- Incorporated municipality of Newell, with Butte County outside the limits.
- Hermosa
- Incorporated town of Hermosa, with Custer County outside the town limits
Corridordiffers
- Newell
- US 212 and SD 79
- Hermosa
- US 79
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Newell
- About 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Hermosa
- 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Newell
- About 60 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Hermosa
- About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Newell
- US 212 and SD 79 are state maintained, and the state rebuilt the Nisland to Newell stretch and the south junction in 2025. Off the highway it is open country and wind moves snow.
- Hermosa
- US 79 is state maintained and is the reason the commute works. Town streets and county roads clear on their own schedule.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Newell
- No figure published. Newell is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so any count from that feed is a floor rather than this town's price level.
- Hermosa
- About $650,000 average sold, 28 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $648,229. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 28 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Newell
- A 1910 townsite, so genuinely old in-town stock with newer building scattered around it.
- Hermosa
- A mix, with older in-town stock and newer building on the edges.
New construction
- Newell
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Hermosa
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreage
- Newell
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Hermosa
- Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers
- Newell
- Small townsite lots, then irrigated project acreage, then rangeland, in that order as you drive out.
- Hermosa
- Small town lots inside the limits, acreage outside them.
Covenants and HOA
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Newell
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Hermosa
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility pattern
- Newell
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Hermosa
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Newell
- Town of Newell municipal water inside the limits, from groundwater, serving about 378 connections. Rural properties are on the Butte-Meade Sanitary Water District or on private wells. Irrigation water from the Belle Fourche Irrigation District is an entirely separate thing from domestic water.
- Hermosa
- Town of Hermosa water inside the limits. The Hermosa Water Users Association is a separate system, and rural parcels are commonly on private wells. Which one serves a given address has to be checked address by address.
Sewerdiffers
- Newell
- Municipal sewer inside the limits, billed monthly alongside water. Rural parcels are on private septic.
- Hermosa
- Town sewer with lagoon treatment inside the limits, currently being expanded. Rural parcels are on private septic.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Newell
- Newell is an agricultural town rather than a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is hunting season, Rally week and ag events, not year-round visitors.
- Hermosa
- Hermosa sits on the road to Custer State Park, which makes short-term rental a real question here. Nothing in the public record confirms a town ordinance either way, so confirm with the town before you count on the income.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Newell
- Newell School District 09-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Hermosa
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Newell
- A grocery store and a hardware store in town, with Belle Fourche about 25 miles for anything larger.
- Hermosa
- Pop's Grocery Shoppe on North Ferguson Street, a full grocery in town since 2007. Anything larger is Rapid City, 26 minutes north.
Healthcarediffers
- Newell
- No hospital or clinic in Newell. Sturgis is about 26 miles, Spearfish about 37, and Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche.
- Hermosa
- No clinic in town. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is about 22 minutes north, and Monument Health Custer Hospital is about 27 miles southwest.
Recreationdiffers
- Newell
- A nine-hole golf course, the Newell Museum, the Belle Fourche Reservoir north of town, and hunting in every direction.
- Hermosa
- Custer State Park is the back door, with Battle Creek running at the edge of town and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to the east.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Newell
- A federal reclamation townsite from 1910 at the center of a 57,000 acre irrigation project, with a sale barn and its own school.
- Hermosa
- A working prairie town with its own grocery, library and county fairgrounds, at the point where the grassland meets the Hills.
What you gaindiffers
- Newell
- A complete small town with its own K through 12 school and irrigated ground around it, at prices the Hills corridor cannot touch.
- Hermosa
- Elementary and middle school in town, 26 minutes from Rapid City, with larger lots and rural utility tradeoffs common outside town.
What you give updiffers
- Newell
- Seventy minutes to Rapid City, 26 miles to a hospital, and an irrigation district assessment that attaches to the land as a lien.
- Hermosa
- High school is 27 miles away in Custer, and the water arrangement changes parcel to parcel.
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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