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.

Narrow it

4 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.

Browse

The five facts that decide a shortlist

Find a community

Selected, 2 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.

Box Elder
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.
Compare Guide
Green Valley
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.
Compare Guide
Rapid City
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.
Compare Guide
Rapid Valley
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.
Selected Guide

What changes

Between Rapid Valley, New Underwood

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

Region: Rapid ValleyRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorNew UnderwoodPrairie and Badlands
Jurisdiction: 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.New UnderwoodIncorporated city of New Underwood, with Pennington County outside the limits
Corridor: Rapid ValleySD 44 and Elk Vale RoadNew UnderwoodI-90 exit 78
To downtown Rapid City: Rapid Valley11 min, 5.2 miNew UnderwoodAbout 18 miles west on I-90
To Ellsworth AFB: Rapid Valley22 min, 10.4 miNew UnderwoodAbout 11 miles, exit 78 to the main gate at exit 67A
Winter driving: Rapid ValleyHighway 44 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.New UnderwoodI-90 is the commute and it is state maintained. Everything off the interstate is county and city plowing on its own schedule, and this is open prairie, so wind moves snow back onto the road.

Side by side

Rapid Valley, New Underwood

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 corridorRapid Valley	Prairie and BadlandsNew Underwood
Where it sits
Regiondiffers	Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor	Prairie and Badlands
County	Pennington County	Pennington County
JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.	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.	Incorporated city of New Underwood, with Pennington County outside the limits
Corridordiffers	SD 44 and Elk Vale Road	I-90 exit 78
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers	11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.	About 18 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers	22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.	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.
Winter drivingdiffers	Highway 44 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.	I-90 is the commute and it is state maintained. Everything off the interstate is county and city plowing on its own schedule, and this is open prairie, so wind moves snow back onto the road.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers	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.	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.
Housing agediffers	Mostly late twentieth century through current, with active building on the edges.	Older in-town stock with scattered newer building.
New constructiondiffers	Active, with subdivisions still building	Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers	Some acreage, mostly platted town lots	Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers	Suburban lots through the core, larger parcels toward Reservoir and Radar Hill Roads.	Standard town lots on the grid, with ranch and acreage ground starting where the limits end.
Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.	Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others	Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers	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.	Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers	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.	City of New Underwood water inside the limits, drawn from two Madison Aquifer wells. Outside the limits, parcels are on small water associations or private wells.
Sewerdiffers	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.	City sewer inside the limits. Rural parcels are on private septic permitted by Pennington County.
Fire protectiondiffersThe responding department and the distance to it both affect an insurance quote.	Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which also provides EMS and wildland response.	Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.
Short term rentalsdiffers	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.	New Underwood is a highway town rather than a tourism town, and no short-term rental ordinance surfaced in the public record. Confirm with the city before you count on rental income.
Schools
School districtdiffers	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.	New Underwood School District 51-3Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers	Retail and everyday shopping run along Highway 44 on the southern edge, with additional grocery options a few minutes west in Rapid City.	BJ's Country Store at the exit 78 interchange for fuel and convenience. Full grocery shopping is Rapid City, about 18 miles west.
Healthcarediffers	Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic provides primary and urgent care in the community. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.	No clinic in town. The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard has walk-in urgent care seven days a week, and the hospital is in Rapid City.
Recreationdiffers	Rapid Creek, the county parks east of town, and everything the Hills offer half an hour west.	The municipal pool, with a donor-funded free swim program, and open prairie in every direction.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers	The region's largest unincorporated community: suburban streets, high ownership, county government.	A prairie town with its own K through 12 campus and its own interstate exit, 18 miles from the city.
What you gaindiffers	Rapid City schools and a five mile commute without Rapid City property taxes, plus a walk-in clinic in the neighborhood.	The only town this close to Ellsworth that still educates its own kids from kindergarten through graduation.
What you give updiffers	No city services, a sanitary district bill instead of a city utility bill, and an annexation line that only the parcel record can settle.	You give up the grocery store, the clinic and the hardware store, and you inherit a small municipal water system with a publicly acknowledged supply question.

Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorRapid Valley
Prairie and BadlandsNew Underwood

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Rapid Valley: Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
New Underwood: Prairie and Badlands

County

Rapid Valley: Pennington County
New Underwood: Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

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

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.
New Underwood: Incorporated city of New Underwood, with Pennington County outside the limits

Corridordiffers

Rapid Valley: SD 44 and Elk Vale Road
New Underwood: I-90 exit 78

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Rapid Valley: 11 min, 5.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
New Underwood: About 18 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Rapid Valley: 22 min, 10.4 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
New Underwood: 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.

Winter drivingdiffers

Rapid Valley: Highway 44 and Elk Vale are state and county priorities. Interior subdivision streets are county maintained and clear after the arterials do.
New Underwood: I-90 is the commute and it is state maintained. Everything off the interstate is county and city plowing on its own schedule, and this is open prairie, so wind moves snow back onto the road.

Housing and lots

Typical pricediffers

Rapid Valley: 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.
New Underwood: 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.

Housing agediffers

Rapid Valley: Mostly late twentieth century through current, with active building on the edges.
New Underwood: Older in-town stock with scattered newer building.

New constructiondiffers

Rapid Valley: Active, with subdivisions still building
New Underwood: Limited, mostly infill and small projects

Acreagediffers

Rapid Valley: Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
New Underwood: Acreage parcels are common here

Typical lotdiffers

Rapid Valley: Suburban lots through the core, larger parcels toward Reservoir and Radar Hill Roads.
New Underwood: Standard town lots on the grid, with ranch and acreage ground starting where the limits end.

Covenants and HOAdiffers

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

Rapid Valley: Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
New Underwood: Few plats here carry recorded covenants

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

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.
New Underwood: Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it

Waterdiffers

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.
New Underwood: City of New Underwood water inside the limits, drawn from two Madison Aquifer wells. Outside the limits, parcels are on small water associations or private wells.

Sewerdiffers

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.
New Underwood: City sewer inside the limits. Rural parcels are on private septic permitted by Pennington County.

Fire protectiondiffers

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

Rapid Valley: Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which also provides EMS and wildland response.
New Underwood: Not recorded townwide in this guide. Confirm the responding department by address.

Short term rentalsdiffers

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.
New Underwood: New Underwood is a highway town rather than a tourism town, and no short-term rental ordinance surfaced in the public record. Confirm with the city before you count on rental income.

Schools

School districtdiffers

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.
New Underwood: New Underwood School District 51-3Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.

Daily errands

Groceriesdiffers

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.
New Underwood: BJ's Country Store at the exit 78 interchange for fuel and convenience. Full grocery shopping is Rapid City, about 18 miles west.

Healthcarediffers

Rapid Valley: Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic provides primary and urgent care in the community. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.
New Underwood: No clinic in town. The Monument Health Rapid Valley Clinic on Elderberry Boulevard has walk-in urgent care seven days a week, and the hospital is in Rapid City.

Recreationdiffers

Rapid Valley: Rapid Creek, the county parks east of town, and everything the Hills offer half an hour west.
New Underwood: The municipal pool, with a donor-funded free swim program, and open prairie in every direction.

The trade

Housing and patterndiffers

Rapid Valley: The region's largest unincorporated community: suburban streets, high ownership, county government.
New Underwood: A prairie town with its own K through 12 campus and its own interstate exit, 18 miles from the city.

What you gaindiffers

Rapid Valley: Rapid City schools and a five mile commute without Rapid City property taxes, plus a walk-in clinic in the neighborhood.
New Underwood: The only town this close to Ellsworth that still educates its own kids from kindergarten through graduation.

What you give updiffers

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.
New Underwood: You give up the grocery store, the clinic and the hardware store, and you inherit a small municipal water system with a publicly acknowledged supply question.

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.

Call 605-490-2040 Text 605-490-2040 Send a Message

Address Questions

Considering a home here?

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.

Or send a message from the contact page

ComparingRapid Valley, New Underwood

Compare Clear