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.
1 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
- $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.
Between Newell, Spearfish
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- County
- NewellButte CountySpearfishLawrence County
- Jurisdiction
- NewellIncorporated municipality of Newell, with Butte County outside the limits.SpearfishNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Corridor
- NewellUS 212 and SD 79SpearfishI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- NewellAbout 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesSpearfish53 min, 47.8 mi
- To Ellsworth AFB
- NewellAbout 60 milesSpearfish68 min, 57.0 mi
- Winter driving
- NewellUS 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.SpearfishChinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor.
Newell, Spearfish
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Region | Northern Hills and I-90 | Northern Hills and I-90 |
| Countydiffers | Butte County | Lawrence County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Incorporated municipality of Newell, with Butte County outside the limits. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. |
| Corridordiffers | US 212 and SD 79 | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | 53 min, 47.8 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. | 68 min, 57.0 miDriving 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. | Chinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor. |
| 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. | $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales. |
| Housing agediffers | A 1910 townsite, so genuinely old in-town stock with newer building scattered around it. | Older stock in the middle, edge subdivisions built 1996 to 2023 |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | New construction remains active on the edges of town, including areas such as Sky Ridge and other newer developments. |
| Acreagediffers | Acreage parcels are common here | Acreage is available around Spearfish, primarily on surrounding Lawrence County ground rather than in the city core. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Small townsite lots, then irrigated project acreage, then rangeland, in that order as you drive out. | 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. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others |
| Utilities and rules | ||
| Utility patterndiffers | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it | City water and sewer are typical inside city-served areas. Acreage outside the city can use wells, septic systems or other service arrangements, so utilities should be confirmed by address. |
| 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. | City water inside the Spearfish limits. Acreage outside the limits runs on a private well or a rural water district.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer. |
| Sewerdiffers | Municipal sewer inside the limits, billed monthly alongside water. Rural parcels are on private septic. | City sewer inside the Spearfish limits, private septic on acreage 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 | 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. | The city studied rules in 2023 and 2024 and maintains an official short term rental page. Verify the current ordinance first. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Newell School District 09-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment 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. | Full-service grocery options in town include Walmart, Safeway and Lueders Food Centers. |
| Healthcarediffers | No hospital or clinic in Newell. Sturgis is about 26 miles, Spearfish about 37, and Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. | Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and outpatient clinics are in town. |
| Recreationdiffers | A nine-hole golf course, the Newell Museum, the Belle Fourche Reservoir north of town, and hunting in every direction. | D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Black Hills State University events, and Terry Peak and Deadwood a short drive south. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 25 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| 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 university town with a walkable middle, growing fast enough that new construction has moved to the edges. |
| 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. | A downtown you can walk across, Black Hills State and Spearfish Canyon out the back door, on city water and sewer. |
| 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. | The highest median sold price of the region's higher volume markets at $475,000 across 199 sales, and Rapid City is 53 minutes on the interstate with the Ellsworth gate 68. |
- Northern Hills and I-90Newell
Where it sits
Region
- Newell
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Spearfish
- Northern Hills and I-90
Countydiffers
- Newell
- Butte County
- Spearfish
- Lawrence 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.
- Spearfish
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
Corridordiffers
- Newell
- US 212 and SD 79
- Spearfish
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Newell
- About 54 miles, roughly 70 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Spearfish
- 53 min, 47.8 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.
- Spearfish
- 68 min, 57.0 miDriving 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.
- Spearfish
- Chinook winds off the hills are a genuine feature of winter in this corridor.
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.
- Spearfish
- $400k to $600kMedian sold $475,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 199 closed sales.
Housing agediffers
- Newell
- A 1910 townsite, so genuinely old in-town stock with newer building scattered around it.
- Spearfish
- Older stock in the middle, edge subdivisions built 1996 to 2023
New constructiondiffers
- Newell
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Spearfish
- New construction remains active on the edges of town, including areas such as Sky Ridge and other newer developments.
Acreagediffers
- Newell
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Spearfish
- Acreage is available around Spearfish, primarily on surrounding Lawrence County ground rather than in the city core.
Typical lotdiffers
- Newell
- Small townsite lots, then irrigated project acreage, then rangeland, in that order as you drive out.
- Spearfish
- 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.- Newell
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Spearfish
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Newell
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Spearfish
- City water and sewer are typical inside city-served areas. Acreage outside the city can use wells, septic systems or other service arrangements, so utilities should be confirmed by address.
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.
- Spearfish
- City water inside the Spearfish limits. Acreage outside the limits runs on a private well or a rural water district.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
Sewerdiffers
- Newell
- Municipal sewer inside the limits, billed monthly alongside water. Rural parcels are on private septic.
- Spearfish
- City sewer inside the Spearfish limits, private septic on acreage 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
- 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.
- Spearfish
- The city studied rules in 2023 and 2024 and maintains an official short term rental page. Verify the current ordinance first.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Newell
- Newell School District 09-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Spearfish
- Spearfish School District 40-2Assignment 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.
- Spearfish
- Full-service grocery options in town include Walmart, Safeway and Lueders Food Centers.
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.
- Spearfish
- Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and outpatient clinics are in town.
Recreationdiffers
- Newell
- A nine-hole golf course, the Newell Museum, the Belle Fourche Reservoir north of town, and hunting in every direction.
- Spearfish
- D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Black Hills State University events, and Terry Peak and Deadwood a short drive south.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Newell
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Spearfish
- 25 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
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.
- Spearfish
- A university town with a walkable middle, growing fast enough that new construction has moved to the edges.
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.
- Spearfish
- A downtown you can walk across, Black Hills State and Spearfish Canyon out the back door, on city water and sewer.
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.
- Spearfish
- The highest median sold price of the region's higher volume markets at $475,000 across 199 sales, and Rapid City is 53 minutes on the interstate with the Ellsworth gate 68.
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.
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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.