Henry Roy Real Estate, Ascend Realty, Rapid City South Dakota
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

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

Northern Hills and I-90

The Sturgis to Belle Fourche side of the Hills, with its own hospitals, schools and employers, so a job in Spearfish or Sturgis does not have to mean a Rapid City commute.

  • Typical price
    $300k to $450kMedian sold $365,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 97 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    48 min, 38.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    33 min, 28.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
    School district
    Meade School District 46-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

Central and Southern Hills

In the timber and on the far southern edge, where lots get larger, well and septic get common, and the drive to a full service hospital becomes part of the decision.

  • Typical price
    About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    Utility pattern
    City water and sewer inside the limits
    School district
    Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
  • Typical price
    Median sold $315,150Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 24 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About an hour and fifteen minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
    Utility pattern
    Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
    School district
    Hot Springs School District 23-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide

Prairie and Badlands

East of the Hills on the open prairie, where lots run larger, water is often a private well, services are thinner and the wind and the drive are the tradeoffs.

  • Typical price
    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.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    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.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 18 miles west on I-90Distance 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
    New Underwood School District 51-3Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide
  • Typical price
    About $270,000 average sold, 19 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $270,435. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 19 closed sales.
    To Ellsworth AFB
    About 43 miles westDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    To downtown Rapid City
    About 50 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
    Utility pattern
    City water and sewer inside the limits
    School district
    Wall School District 51-5Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
    4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide
What changes

Between Summerset, Edgemont, Keystone, Box Elder

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

Region
SummersetRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorEdgemontCentral and Southern HillsKeystoneCentral and Southern HillsBox ElderRapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
County
SummersetMeade CountyEdgemontFall River CountyKeystonePennington CountyBox ElderPennington County
Jurisdiction
SummersetCity of Summerset, incorporated July 2005EdgemontIncorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.KeystoneIncorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.Box ElderCity of Box Elder
Corridor
SummersetI-90EdgemontUS 18 and SD 471KeystoneUS 16ABox ElderI-90
To downtown Rapid City
Summerset15 min, 10.0 miEdgemontAbout 100 miles northeastKeystoneAbout 25 minutes northeastBox Elder19 min, 10.9 mi
To Ellsworth AFB
Summerset30 min, 19.2 miEdgemontAbout 110 milesKeystoneAbout 40 minutesBox Elder9 min, 2.3 mi
Side by side

Summerset, Edgemont, Keystone, 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.

Where it sits

Regiondiffers

Summerset
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Edgemont
Central and Southern Hills
Keystone
Central and Southern Hills
Box Elder
Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor

Countydiffers

Summerset
Meade County
Edgemont
Fall River County
Keystone
Pennington County
Box Elder
Pennington County

Jurisdictiondiffers

City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.
Summerset
City of Summerset, incorporated July 2005
Edgemont
Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
Keystone
Incorporated town of Keystone, with unincorporated Pennington County on the surrounding hillsides.
Box Elder
City of Box Elder

Corridordiffers

Summerset
I-90
Edgemont
US 18 and SD 471
Keystone
US 16A
Box Elder
I-90

To downtown Rapid Citydiffers

Summerset
15 min, 10.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Edgemont
About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Keystone
About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
Box Elder
19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

To Ellsworth AFBdiffers

Summerset
30 min, 19.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
Edgemont
About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Keystone
About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
Box Elder
9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak.

Winter drivingdiffers

Summerset
The commute is I-90, so winter driving here is interstate driving rather than a two lane canyon road.
Edgemont
Cold semi-arid country with a recorded low of 40 below. US 18 is the lifeline and it is a long way to anywhere in a storm.
Keystone
Black Hills elevation on canyon roads, and a town that empties out for the season. Iron Mountain Road and the scenic routes are not winter commuting roads.
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

Summerset
Builder inventory sets the level here, and the MLS publishes no Summerset median on its own.
Edgemont
About $155,000 average sold, 13 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $155,285. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
Keystone
About $618,000 average sold, but only 9 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $618,449. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 9 closed sales, small sample.
Box Elder
$340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales.

Housing agediffers

Summerset
Mostly 2000s to present
Edgemont
An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count.
Keystone
An 1883 mining town, so genuinely old stock alongside newer builds and cabins.
Box Elder
Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement

New constructiondiffers

Summerset
Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Edgemont
None underway
Keystone
Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Box Elder
Active, with subdivisions still building

Acreagediffers

Summerset
Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
Edgemont
Acreage parcels are common here
Keystone
Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
Box Elder
Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.

Typical lotdiffers

Summerset
Wide lots on new streets
Edgemont
Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them.
Keystone
Small and steep in town, larger on the surrounding hillsides outside the limits.
Box Elder
Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats

Covenants and HOAdiffers

Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.
Summerset
Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others
Edgemont
Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Keystone
Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Box Elder
Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.

Utilities and rules

Utility patterndiffers

Summerset
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.
Edgemont
City water and sewer inside the limits
Keystone
Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Box Elder
City water and sewer inside the limits

Waterdiffers

Summerset
Black Hawk Water User District, or Diamond D Water in Sun Valley
Edgemont
City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.
Keystone
Town of Keystone municipal water inside the limits, drawn from town wells, with no violations on its current record. Parcels outside the town limits are on private wells.
Box Elder
City of Box Elder municipal

Sewerdiffers

Summerset
City of Summerset
Edgemont
City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.
Keystone
Confirm with the town before you rely on it. The town operates public works, but I have not been able to verify from the public record whether it runs a collection system or which parcels it reaches. Outside the limits, expect private septic.
Box Elder
City of Box Elder municipal

Short term rentalsdiffers

Summerset
The thinnest rules on this list, which means a rental plan has to be pinned down for the specific address.
Edgemont
Edgemont is not a tourism town. Short-term rental demand here is work crews, hunting season and Rally traffic passing through, not visitors staying to see something.
Keystone
A 2 percent municipal lodging tax applies to transient stays. Whether a separate short term rental ordinance exists is not clear from the public record, so confirm with the town in writing.
Box Elder
A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up.

Schools

School districtdiffers

Summerset
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.
Edgemont
Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
Keystone
Hill City School District 51-2Assignment 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

Summerset
Not recorded in this guide. Check what is open near the address.
Edgemont
Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.
Keystone
Nothing full service in town. Hill City is the closest small grocery and Rapid City is the real shopping, about 25 minutes northeast.
Box Elder
Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.

Healthcarediffers

Summerset
Hospital-level care is in Rapid City, about 15 minutes south.
Edgemont
No hospital in town. Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs is a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department.
Keystone
No clinic in town. Monument Health Custer Hospital has a 24 hour emergency department, and Rapid City has the larger hospital.
Box Elder
Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.

Recreationdiffers

Summerset
Leisure Lane, Steamboat and Castlewood parks are the everyday recreation. Leisure Lane is the big one, with playgrounds, basketball, picnic shelters, open grass and the community garden.
Edgemont
The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.
Keystone
Mount Rushmore is past the town boundary, the 1880 Train runs from the Winter Street depot, and Custer State Park and the Norbeck Scenic Byway are close.
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

Summerset
2 mapped outlines, 2 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
Edgemont
No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
Keystone
No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
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

Summerset
New streets and builder inventory, with Highlands at Norman Ranch adding over 100 first phase homesites across more than 300 acres.
Edgemont
A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains.
Keystone
An 1883 mining camp turned tourism town at the gateway to Mount Rushmore, 240 residents and millions of visitors.
Box Elder
A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned.

What you gaindiffers

Summerset
Newer houses on city sewer with Hills views at a price central Rapid City does not offer, and Highlands at Norman Ranch is still selling first phase homesites.
Edgemont
More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.
Keystone
Nightly rental demand runs about as high as anywhere in the Black Hills, if the rules and the covenants check out for the specific property.
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

Summerset
You are fifteen minutes out from most of Rapid City's services and you drive I-90 to get to them in the winter. The city is also split between Meade 46-1 and Rapid City Area Schools 51-4, so the district follows the address.
Edgemont
A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.
Keystone
A seasonal town with no school, no grocery and no clinic, and a housing stock where half the doors are dark in winter.
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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ComparingSummerset, Edgemont, Keystone, Box Elder

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