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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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What changes

Between Piedmont, Hot Springs, Rapid Valley

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

Region: PiedmontRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorHot SpringsCentral and Southern HillsRapid ValleyRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
County: PiedmontMeade CountyHot SpringsFall River CountyRapid ValleyPennington County
Jurisdiction: PiedmontCity of PiedmontHot SpringsNot 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.
Corridor: PiedmontI-90Hot SpringsUS-79 and US-18Rapid ValleySD 44 and Elk Vale Road
To downtown Rapid City: PiedmontAbout 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsHot SpringsAbout 60 minutesRapid Valley11 min, 5.2 mi
To Ellsworth AFB: Piedmont36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsHot SpringsAbout an hour and fifteen minutesRapid Valley22 min, 10.4 mi

Side by side

Piedmont, Hot Springs, Rapid Valley

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	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorPiedmont	Central and Southern HillsHot Springs	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid Valley
Where it sits
Regiondiffers	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Central and Southern Hills	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers	Meade County	Fall River County	Pennington County
JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.	City of Piedmont	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.
Corridordiffers	I-90	US-79 and US-18	SD 44 and Elk Vale Road
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers	36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak.	About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.	22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Winter drivingdiffers	Driveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes.	Chinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move.	Highway 44 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers	$375k to $575kMedian sold $427,250. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 139 closed sales.	Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 90 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.
Housing agediffers	Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road	Older homes near downtown, acreage outside it	Mostly late twentieth century through current, with active building on the edges.
New constructiondiffers	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.	Active, with subdivisions still building
Acreagediffers	Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.	Acreage is common outside the town core and is one of the more accessible rural-property options in the southern Black Hills.	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Typical lotdiffers	Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space	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.
Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.	Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it	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.
Waterdiffers	City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District	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.
Sewerdiffers	City sewer inside the limits, private septic outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.	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.
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.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.	Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which also provides EMS and wildland response.
Short term rentalsdiffers	A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.	No city ordinance I can locate as of August 2026, and unincorporated Fall River County does not administer zoning districts, so the county building, septic and access permits are the controls that apply.	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.
Schools
School districtdiffers	Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.	Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment 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.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers	Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.	Full-service grocery options in town include Sonny's Super Foods and Lynn's Dakotamart.	Retail and everyday shopping run along Highway 44 on the southern edge, with additional grocery options a few minutes west in Rapid City.
Healthcarediffers	Monument Health Rapid City Hospital	Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs.	Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic provides primary and urgent care in the community. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.
Recreationdiffers	Foothills trailheads sit within minutes of town, and the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is seasonal.	Evans Plunge, the city run mineral springs pool, the Mammoth Site dig in the middle of town, Wind Cave National Park about 11 miles out and Angostura Reservoir about 10 miles for lake days.	Rapid Creek, the county parks east of town, and everything the Hills offer half an hour west.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers	21 mapped outlines, 17 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.	No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers	Where the prairie folds up into the foothills, with a lot of my current listing inventory on these roads.	A sandstone downtown built along the Fall River, with Evans Plunge and Angostura close and water in every direction.	The region's largest unincorporated community: suburban streets, high ownership, county government.
What you gaindiffers	Foothills lots with elevation and pine, in Meade 46-1, with I-90 at the door and downtown Rapid City about 26 minutes south from the Prairie Haven side.	Chinook favored foothills that keep winters warmer and drier than the northern Hills, a sandstone downtown on the Fall River, and acreage minutes out of town at a $315,150 median.	Rapid City schools and a five mile commute without Rapid City property taxes, plus a walk-in clinic in the neighborhood.
What you give updiffers	The city publishes very little, so rental plans, utilities and legal access get answered address by address, and a steep driveway is a winter decision.	Rapid City is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, which is a lot of highway for a daily commute.	No city services, a sanitary district bill instead of a city utility bill, and an annexation line that only the parcel record can settle.

Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorPiedmont
Central and Southern HillsHot Springs
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid Valley

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Piedmont: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Hot Springs: Central and Southern Hills
Rapid Valley: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor

Countydiffers

Piedmont: Meade County
Hot Springs: Fall River County
Rapid Valley: Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

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

Piedmont: City of Piedmont
Hot Springs: 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.

Corridordiffers

Piedmont: I-90
Hot Springs: US-79 and US-18
Rapid Valley: SD 44 and Elk Vale Road

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Piedmont: About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.
Hot Springs: About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Rapid Valley: 11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Piedmont: 36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsDriving time and distance, off peak.
Hot Springs: About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Rapid Valley: 22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

Winter drivingdiffers

Piedmont: Driveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes.
Hot Springs: Chinook favored foothills make winters here warmer and drier than the northern Hills, so there is less snow to move.
Rapid Valley: Highway 44 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.

Housing and lots

Typical pricediffers

Piedmont: $375k to $575kMedian sold $427,250. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 139 closed sales.
Hot Springs: Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 90 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.

Housing agediffers

Piedmont: Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road
Hot Springs: Older homes near downtown, acreage outside it
Rapid Valley: Mostly late twentieth century through current, with active building on the edges.

New constructiondiffers

Piedmont: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Hot Springs: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
Rapid Valley: Active, with subdivisions still building

Acreagediffers

Piedmont: Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.
Hot Springs: Acreage is common outside the town core and is one of the more accessible rural-property options in the southern Black Hills.
Rapid Valley: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots

Typical lotdiffers

Piedmont: Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space
Hot Springs: 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.

Covenants and HOAdiffers

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

Piedmont: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Hot Springs: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
Rapid Valley: Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Piedmont: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Hot Springs: 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.

Waterdiffers

Piedmont: City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District
Hot Springs: 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.

Sewerdiffers

Piedmont: City sewer inside the limits, private septic outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
Hot Springs: 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.

Fire protectiondiffers

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

Piedmont: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.
Hot Springs: 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.

Short term rentalsdiffers

Piedmont: A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.
Hot Springs: No city ordinance I can locate as of August 2026, and unincorporated Fall River County does not administer zoning districts, so the county building, septic and access permits are the controls that apply.
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.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Piedmont: Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Hot Springs: Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment 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.

Daily errands

Groceriesdiffers

Piedmont: Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Hot Springs: Full-service grocery options in town include Sonny's Super Foods and Lynn's Dakotamart.
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.

Healthcarediffers

Piedmont: Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Hot Springs: Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs.
Rapid Valley: Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic provides primary and urgent care in the community. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.

Recreationdiffers

Piedmont: Foothills trailheads sit within minutes of town, and the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is seasonal.
Hot Springs: Evans Plunge, the city run mineral springs pool, the Mammoth Site dig in the middle of town, Wind Cave National Park about 11 miles out and Angostura Reservoir about 10 miles for lake days.
Rapid Valley: Rapid Creek, the county parks east of town, and everything the Hills offer half an hour west.

Mapped subdivisions

Outlines on filediffers

Piedmont: 21 mapped outlines, 17 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
Hot Springs: No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
Rapid Valley: No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.

The trade

Housing and patterndiffers

Piedmont: Where the prairie folds up into the foothills, with a lot of my current listing inventory on these roads.
Hot Springs: A sandstone downtown built along the Fall River, with Evans Plunge and Angostura close and water in every direction.
Rapid Valley: The region's largest unincorporated community: suburban streets, high ownership, county government.

What you gaindiffers

Piedmont: Foothills lots with elevation and pine, in Meade 46-1, with I-90 at the door and downtown Rapid City about 26 minutes south from the Prairie Haven side.
Hot Springs: Chinook favored foothills that keep winters warmer and drier than the northern Hills, a sandstone downtown on the Fall River, and acreage minutes out of town at a $315,150 median.
Rapid Valley: Rapid City schools and a five mile commute without Rapid City property taxes, plus a walk-in clinic in the neighborhood.

What you give updiffers

Piedmont: The city publishes very little, so rental plans, utilities and legal access get answered address by address, and a steep driveway is a winter decision.
Hot Springs: Rapid City is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, which is a lot of highway for a daily commute.
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.

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

Contact

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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ComparingPiedmont, Hot Springs, Rapid Valley

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