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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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.

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.
Selected Guide

What changes

Between Piedmont, Rapid City, Box Elder

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

County: PiedmontMeade CountyRapid CityPennington CountyBox ElderPennington County
Jurisdiction: PiedmontCity of PiedmontRapid CityCity of Rapid CityBox ElderCity of Box Elder
Corridor: PiedmontI-90Rapid CityI-90 along the north edgeBox ElderI-90
To downtown Rapid City: PiedmontAbout 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsRapid City5 min, 1.5 miBox Elder19 min, 10.9 mi
To Ellsworth AFB: Piedmont36 min from the Prairie Haven side, closer to 51 from the plats highest up the foothillsRapid City24 min, 13.8 miBox Elder9 min, 2.3 mi
Winter driving: PiedmontDriveway grade is the first thing to look at out here, then water, then where spring melt goes.Rapid CityApril is the snowiest month at 10.1 inches on average, and the city averages about five inches a month against fifteen up in the Hills.Box ElderI-90 is state maintained and the city clears the newer plats. Box Elder publishes no plow priority map, so ask a neighbor how the street clears after a real storm.

Side by side

Piedmont, Rapid City, Box Elder

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	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid City	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBox Elder
Where it sits
Region	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers	Meade County	Pennington County	Pennington County
JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.	City of Piedmont	City of Rapid City	City of Box Elder
Corridordiffers	I-90	I-90 along the north edge	I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.	5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.	19 min, 10.9 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.	24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.	9 min, 2.3 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.	April is the snowiest month at 10.1 inches on average, and the city averages about five inches a month against fifteen up in the Hills.	I-90 is state maintained and the city clears the newer plats. Box Elder publishes no plow priority map, so ask a neighbor how the street clears after a real storm.
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.	$300k to $450kMedian sold $349,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 790 closed sales.	$340k to $400kMedian sold $369,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 184 closed sales.
Housing agediffers	Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road	Everything from 1875 downtown streets to current new construction	Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement
New constructiondiffers	Limited, mostly infill and small projects	Active, with subdivisions still building	Active, with subdivisions still building
Acreagediffers	Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
Typical lotdiffers	Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space	Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.	Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it	City water and sewer inside the limits	City water and sewer inside the limits
Waterdiffers	City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District	City of Rapid City municipal	City of Box Elder municipal
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.	City of Rapid City sanitary sewer	City of Box Elder municipal
Short term rentalsdiffers	A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.	Vacation rentals inside city limits are regulated, and the ordinance is recent. Read the guide before you count on rental income.	A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up.
Schools
School districtdiffers	Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.	Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.	Douglas School District 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.	Groceries, the hospital and the airport are all inside the city, so a supply run is minutes rather than a trip.	Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
Healthcarediffers	Monument Health Rapid City Hospital	Monument Health's main campus is here, which is the reason a lot of the region drives in.	Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. 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.	Main Street Square and Art Alley downtown, with Mount Rushmore southwest, Custer State Park south and the Badlands east.	The Liberty Center, the city park and ballfield network, and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum are the in-town recreation. The Badlands are a day trip, not your neighborhood park.
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.	13 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.	16 mapped outlines, 3 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
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 working city with a real downtown, older streets with mature trees near the middle and new subdivisions on the edges.	A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned.
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.	Everything the region has sits in one place: Monument Health, the airport, the widest run of housing stock, and 24 minutes to the Ellsworth gate.	The Ellsworth main gate is in town, 9 minutes from most addresses, on city water and sewer, with the region's newest housing pipeline.
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.	You buy into the region's deepest demand, and the recent vacation rental ordinance limits what you can do with a house you do not live in.	Comparable sales run thin inside brand new subdivisions and builder incentives move the effective price without moving the list price. I-90 fills at shift change, and the flight line is close enough that you hear it.

Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorPiedmont
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid City
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBox Elder

Where it sits

Region

Piedmont: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Rapid City: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Box Elder: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor

Countydiffers

Piedmont: Meade County
Rapid City: Pennington County
Box Elder: Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

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

Piedmont: City of Piedmont
Rapid City: City of Rapid City
Box Elder: City of Box Elder

Corridordiffers

Piedmont: I-90
Rapid City: I-90 along the north edge
Box Elder: I-90

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Piedmont: About 26 minutes from the Prairie Haven side, longer from the upper platsDriving time and distance, off peak.
Rapid City: 5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Box Elder: 19 min, 10.9 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.
Rapid City: 24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Box Elder: 9 min, 2.3 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.
Rapid City: April is the snowiest month at 10.1 inches on average, and the city averages about five inches a month against fifteen up in the Hills.
Box Elder: I-90 is state maintained and the city clears the newer plats. Box Elder publishes no plow priority map, so ask a neighbor how the street clears after a real storm.

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.
Rapid City: $300k to $450kMedian sold $349,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 790 closed sales.
Box Elder: $340k to $400kMedian sold $369,900. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of October 2026. 184 closed sales.

Housing agediffers

Piedmont: Older ranch homes and newer custom builds, sometimes on the same road
Rapid City: Everything from 1875 downtown streets to current new construction
Box Elder: Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement

New constructiondiffers

Piedmont: Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Rapid City: Active, with subdivisions still building
Box Elder: Active, with subdivisions still building

Acreagediffers

Piedmont: Acreage is a major part of the Piedmont-area market, particularly on surrounding unincorporated Meade County ground.
Rapid City: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Box Elder: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.

Typical lotdiffers

Piedmont: Foothills lots that buy elevation, pine and space
Rapid City: Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
Box Elder: Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Piedmont: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Rapid City: City water and sewer inside the limits
Box Elder: City water and sewer inside the limits

Waterdiffers

Piedmont: City of Piedmont municipal, supplemented by bulk water from Black Hawk Water User District
Rapid City: City of Rapid City municipal
Box Elder: City of Box Elder municipal

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.
Rapid City: City of Rapid City sanitary sewer
Box Elder: City of Box Elder municipal

Short term rentalsdiffers

Piedmont: A research before you count on it town. The city publishes very little and the county next door publishes less.
Rapid City: Vacation rentals inside city limits are regulated, and the ordinance is recent. Read the guide before you count on rental income.
Box Elder: A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Piedmont: Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Rapid City: Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Box Elder: Douglas School District 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.
Rapid City: Groceries, the hospital and the airport are all inside the city, so a supply run is minutes rather than a trip.
Box Elder: Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.

Healthcarediffers

Piedmont: Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Rapid City: Monument Health's main campus is here, which is the reason a lot of the region drives in.
Box Elder: Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. 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.
Rapid City: Main Street Square and Art Alley downtown, with Mount Rushmore southwest, Custer State Park south and the Badlands east.
Box Elder: The Liberty Center, the city park and ballfield network, and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum are the in-town recreation. The Badlands are a day trip, not your neighborhood park.

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.
Rapid City: 13 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
Box Elder: 16 mapped outlines, 3 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.

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.
Rapid City: A working city with a real downtown, older streets with mature trees near the middle and new subdivisions on the edges.
Box Elder: A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned.

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.
Rapid City: Everything the region has sits in one place: Monument Health, the airport, the widest run of housing stock, and 24 minutes to the Ellsworth gate.
Box Elder: The Ellsworth main gate is in town, 9 minutes from most addresses, on city water and sewer, with the region's newest housing pipeline.

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.
Rapid City: You buy into the region's deepest demand, and the recent vacation rental ordinance limits what you can do with a house you do not live in.
Box Elder: Comparable sales run thin inside brand new subdivisions and builder incentives move the effective price without moving the list price. I-90 fills at shift change, and the flight line is close enough that you hear it.

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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ComparingPiedmont, Rapid City, Box Elder

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