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.
4 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
- $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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Between St. Onge, Blucksberg Mountain
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- St. OngeNorthern Hills and I-90Blucksberg MountainRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- County
- St. OngeLawrence CountyBlucksberg MountainMeade County
- Jurisdiction
- St. OngeUnincorporated. No town government. Lawrence County zones the parcels and the Sheriff patrols them.Blucksberg MountainUnincorporated Meade County
- Corridor
- St. OngeSD 34, with I-90 seven miles southeast at WhitewoodBlucksberg MountainI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- St. OngeAbout 44 miles, roughly 48 minutesBlucksberg MountainNot measured for this page.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- St. OngeAbout 45 milesBlucksberg MountainNot measured for this page.
St. Onge, Blucksberg Mountain
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-90St. Onge | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBlucksberg Mountain |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||
| Regiondiffers | Northern Hills and I-90 | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor |
| Countydiffers | Lawrence County | Meade County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Unincorporated. No town government. Lawrence County zones the parcels and the Sheriff patrols them. | Unincorporated Meade County |
| Corridordiffers | SD 34, with I-90 seven miles southeast at Whitewood | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 44 miles, roughly 48 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 45 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | Highway 34 is state maintained and connects three directions. County and private roads off it are a different conversation. | This is hill ground off the interstate. Ask who plows the interior road serving the parcel, because some are not county maintained. |
| Housing and lots | ||
| Typical pricediffers | No figure published. St. Onge is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so a zero here would be a gap in the data rather than a fact about the market. | No verified closed sale set is available for Blucksberg Mountain, so no price level is printed here. The five recorded plats differ enough that one figure would not describe any of them. |
| Housing agediffers | An 1891 townsite with genuinely old buildings, surrounded by ranch and acreage property of every era. | Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges. |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county. |
| Acreage | Acreage parcels are common here | Acreage parcels are common here |
| Typical lotdiffers | Small townsite lots, with acreage and ranch ground around them. | 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 | Mostly private well and septic | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it |
| Waterdiffers | The Saint Onge Sewer and Water Company serves about 78 connections around the townsite, with a clean compliance record. Parcels outside that system are on private wells. There is no rural water district covering this area. | Varies by plat. Blucksberg Mountain #1 is a regulated community water system. Confirm provider and rate by parcel. |
| Sewerdiffers | The water company's name implies sewer service, but I have not been able to verify from the public record which parcels it reaches. Assume private septic outside the townsite and confirm the rest before closing. | Septic common in current listings. Confirm the system by address. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | Unincorporated Lawrence County, so no municipal ordinance applies. Note that unincorporated Lawrence County declined to require a vacation home rental permit, so there is no county permit to obtain either. | Short term rental rules here come from Meade County and from the covenants on the recorded plat, not from a city ordinance. |
| Schools | ||
| School districtdiffers | Spearfish 40-2 at the townsite, with Belle Fourche 09-1 to the north and Meade 46-1 to the east. Parcel specific.Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||
| Groceriesdiffers | Nothing in town. Spearfish is eleven miles southeast and Belle Fourche thirteen northwest. | Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address. |
| Healthcarediffers | Monument Health Spearfish Hospital, a 35 bed facility with a 24 hour emergency department, about 18 minutes away. | Not recorded in this guide. Confirm the nearest clinic and hospital by address. |
| Recreationdiffers | Creek bottoms, hay ground and hunting country, with Spearfish Canyon and the northern Hills half an hour away. | Not recorded in this guide. Read the guide for what residents use here. |
| The trade | ||
| Housing and patterndiffers | An 1891 French-Canadian railroad townsite that is now a cattle auction crossroads and an acreage corridor. | Five separate recorded plats of residential acreage on the hill between Rapid City and Sturgis, unincorporated. |
| What you gaindiffers | The cheapest ground in the northern Hills that still puts you eleven miles from a hospital and sixteen from three towns. | Read the guide |
| What you give updiffers | A three-way school district split you have to verify per parcel, and no services of any kind in town. | Utilities, roads and covenants change from one recorded plat to the next, so nothing you learn about one street transfers to the next one over. |
- Northern Hills and I-90St. Onge
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBlucksberg Mountain
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- St. Onge
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers
- St. Onge
- Lawrence County
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Meade County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- St. Onge
- Unincorporated. No town government. Lawrence County zones the parcels and the Sheriff patrols them.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Unincorporated Meade County
Corridordiffers
- St. Onge
- SD 34, with I-90 seven miles southeast at Whitewood
- Blucksberg Mountain
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- St. Onge
- About 44 miles, roughly 48 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- St. Onge
- About 45 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not measured for this page.Drive time is not measured for this community. Time it from the parcel itself.
Winter drivingdiffers
- St. Onge
- Highway 34 is state maintained and connects three directions. County and private roads off it are a different conversation.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- This is hill ground off the interstate. Ask who plows the interior road serving the parcel, because some are not county maintained.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- St. Onge
- No figure published. St. Onge is Mount Rushmore Area MLS territory and the current feed covers only the Black Hills MLS, so a zero here would be a gap in the data rather than a fact about the market.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- No verified closed sale set is available for Blucksberg Mountain, so no price level is printed here. The five recorded plats differ enough that one figure would not describe any of them.
Housing agediffers
- St. Onge
- An 1891 townsite with genuinely old buildings, surrounded by ranch and acreage property of every era.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Mixed ages. Older homes near the core, newer construction toward the edges.
New constructiondiffers
- St. Onge
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Check current permits with the city or county.
Acreage
- St. Onge
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers
- St. Onge
- Small townsite lots, with acreage and ranch ground around them.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- 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.- St. Onge
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- St. Onge
- Mostly private well and septic
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- St. Onge
- The Saint Onge Sewer and Water Company serves about 78 connections around the townsite, with a clean compliance record. Parcels outside that system are on private wells. There is no rural water district covering this area.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Varies by plat. Blucksberg Mountain #1 is a regulated community water system. Confirm provider and rate by parcel.
Sewerdiffers
- St. Onge
- The water company's name implies sewer service, but I have not been able to verify from the public record which parcels it reaches. Assume private septic outside the townsite and confirm the rest before closing.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Septic common in current listings. Confirm the system by address.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- St. Onge
- Unincorporated Lawrence County, so no municipal ordinance applies. Note that unincorporated Lawrence County declined to require a vacation home rental permit, so there is no county permit to obtain either.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Short term rental rules here come from Meade County and from the covenants on the recorded plat, not from a city ordinance.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- St. Onge
- Spearfish 40-2 at the townsite, with Belle Fourche 09-1 to the north and Meade 46-1 to the east. Parcel specific.Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- St. Onge
- Nothing in town. Spearfish is eleven miles southeast and Belle Fourche thirteen northwest.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Healthcarediffers
- St. Onge
- Monument Health Spearfish Hospital, a 35 bed facility with a 24 hour emergency department, about 18 minutes away.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded in this guide. Confirm the nearest clinic and hospital by address.
Recreationdiffers
- St. Onge
- Creek bottoms, hay ground and hunting country, with Spearfish Canyon and the northern Hills half an hour away.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Not recorded in this guide. Read the guide for what residents use here.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- St. Onge
- An 1891 French-Canadian railroad townsite that is now a cattle auction crossroads and an acreage corridor.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Five separate recorded plats of residential acreage on the hill between Rapid City and Sturgis, unincorporated.
What you gaindiffers
- St. Onge
- The cheapest ground in the northern Hills that still puts you eleven miles from a hospital and sixteen from three towns.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Read the guide
What you give updiffers
- St. Onge
- A three-way school district split you have to verify per parcel, and no services of any kind in town.
- Blucksberg Mountain
- Utilities, roads and covenants change from one recorded plat to the next, so nothing you learn about one street transfers to the next one over.
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.