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
10 of 25 communities
Under $400kClose to EllsworthClose to Rapid CityShort commuteNew construction availableAcreage availableCity water and sewerSmaller marketMore ruralEstablished housingNewer housingClear filtersClear 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
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.
- Typical price
- About $683,000 average sold in the Sheridan Lake Road MLS area, 71 sales over 12 monthsAverage sold $682,615. Black Hills MLS, single family, 12 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 71 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 25 to 30 minutes, through or around Rapid CityDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- Roughly 6 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Utility pattern
- Mostly private well and septic
- School district
- Rapid City Area School District 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
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.
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
- Median sold $627,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 7 closed sales, small sample.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hour and ten minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- 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
- About $650,000 average sold, 28 sales over 24 monthsAverage sold $648,229. Black Hills MLS, single family, 24 months through August 2026, as of August 2026. 28 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 35 minutes, north through Rapid City to I-90Driving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- 26 min, 18.6 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Custer School District 16-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- Median sold $519,000Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 13 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 45 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 30 to 35 minutes on US-16Driving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment 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.
- Typical price
- 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.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 40 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 25 minutes northeastDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Hill City School District 51-2Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
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.
- 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.
What changes
Between Summerset, Rapid City, Black Hawk
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- County
- SummersetMeade CountyRapid CityPennington CountyBlack HawkMeade County
- Jurisdiction
- SummersetCity of Summerset, incorporated July 2005Rapid CityCity of Rapid CityBlack HawkUnincorporated Meade County
- Corridor
- SummersetI-90Rapid CityI-90 along the north edgeBlack HawkI-90
- To downtown Rapid City
- Summerset15 min, 10.0 miRapid City5 min, 1.5 miBlack HawkAbout 12 to 15 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- Summerset30 min, 19.2 miRapid City24 min, 13.8 miBlack HawkAbout 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just north
- Winter driving
- SummersetThe commute is I-90, so winter driving here is interstate driving rather than a two lane canyon road.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.Black HawkThe road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.
Side by side
Summerset, Rapid City, Black Hawk
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Meade County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | City of Summerset, incorporated July 2005 | City of Rapid City | Unincorporated Meade County |
| Corridordiffers | I-90 | I-90 along the north edge | I-90 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | 15 min, 10.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | 5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | 30 min, 19.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | 24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving time and distance, off peak. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | The commute is I-90, so winter driving here is interstate driving rather than a two lane canyon road. | 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. | The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy. |
| Housing and lots | |||
| Typical pricediffers | Builder inventory sets the level here, and the MLS publishes no Summerset median on its own. | $300k to $450kMedian sold $349,950. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 706 closed sales. | Unincorporated, so closings report under Rapid City and Meade County rather than a Black Hawk median. Lot size and outbuildings move the price more than the street does. |
| Housing agediffers | Mostly 2000s to present | Everything from 1875 downtown streets to current new construction | Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Active, with subdivisions still building | Limited, mostly infill and small projects |
| Acreagediffers | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size. | Some acreage, mostly platted town lots | Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings. |
| Typical lotdiffers | Wide lots on new streets | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions. | Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on others | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. | Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property. |
| Utilities and rules | |||
| Utility patterndiffers | 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. | City water and sewer inside the limits | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it |
| Waterdiffers | Black Hawk Water User District, or Diamond D Water in Sun Valley | City of Rapid City municipal | Black Hawk Water User District |
| Sewerdiffers | City of Summerset | City of Rapid City sanitary sewer | Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | The thinnest rules on this list, which means a rental plan has to be pinned down for the specific address. | Vacation rentals inside city limits are regulated, and the ordinance is recent. Read the guide before you count on rental income. | No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides. |
| Schools | |||
| School districtdiffers | 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. | Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment 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. | No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City. |
| Healthcarediffers | Hospital-level care is in Rapid City, about 15 minutes south. | Monument Health's main campus is here, which is the reason a lot of the region drives in. | Monument Health Rapid City Hospital |
| Recreationdiffers | 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. | Main Street Square and Art Alley downtown, with Mount Rushmore southwest, Custer State Park south and the Badlands east. | Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day. |
| Mapped subdivisions | |||
| Outlines on filediffers | 2 mapped outlines, 2 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. | 12 mapped outlines, 5 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. |
| The trade | |||
| Housing and patterndiffers | New streets and builder inventory, with Highlands at Norman Ranch adding over 100 first phase homesites across more than 300 acres. | A working city with a real downtown, older streets with mature trees near the middle and new subdivisions on the edges. | Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next. |
| What you gaindiffers | 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. | 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. | Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules. |
| What you give updiffers | 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. | 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. | There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel. |
Where it sits
Region
- Summerset
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Rapid City
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
Countydiffers
- Summerset
- Meade County
- Rapid City
- Pennington County
- Black Hawk
- Meade County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Summerset
- City of Summerset, incorporated July 2005
- Rapid City
- City of Rapid City
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated Meade County
Corridordiffers
- Summerset
- I-90
- Rapid City
- I-90 along the north edge
- Black Hawk
- I-90
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Summerset
- 15 min, 10.0 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Rapid City
- 5 min, 1.5 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Black Hawk
- About 12 to 15 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Summerset
- 30 min, 19.2 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Rapid City
- 24 min, 13.8 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Black Hawk
- About 30 minutes, the same I-90 run as Summerset just northDriving 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.
- 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.
- Black Hawk
- The road out front may be maintained publicly or by the neighborhood, so ask who plows before you buy.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Summerset
- Builder inventory sets the level here, and the MLS publishes no Summerset median on its own.
- Rapid City
- $300k to $450kMedian sold $349,950. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 706 closed sales.
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated, so closings report under Rapid City and Meade County rather than a Black Hawk median. Lot size and outbuildings move the price more than the street does.
Housing agediffers
- Summerset
- Mostly 2000s to present
- Rapid City
- Everything from 1875 downtown streets to current new construction
- Black Hawk
- Mixed street to street, sometimes neighbor to neighbor
New constructiondiffers
- Summerset
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Rapid City
- Active, with subdivisions still building
- Black Hawk
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
Acreagediffers
- Summerset
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
- Rapid City
- Some acreage, mostly platted town lots
- Black Hawk
- Larger lots and acre properties are part of the Black Hawk market, including properties with room for shops and outbuildings.
Typical lotdiffers
- Summerset
- Wide lots on new streets
- Rapid City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot dimensions.
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, with shop space and outbuildings normal
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
- Rapid City
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
- Black Hawk
- Recorded covenants on some plats, none on othersRecorded covenants vary by subdivision and should be checked for the specific property.
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.
- Rapid City
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- Black Hawk
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
Waterdiffers
- Summerset
- Black Hawk Water User District, or Diamond D Water in Sun Valley
- Rapid City
- City of Rapid City municipal
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Water User District
Sewerdiffers
- Summerset
- City of Summerset
- Rapid City
- City of Rapid City sanitary sewer
- Black Hawk
- Black Hawk Sanitary District serves roughly 200 homes and businesses; properties outside the district are on private septic
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Summerset
- The thinnest rules on this list, which means a rental plan has to be pinned down for the specific address.
- Rapid City
- Vacation rentals inside city limits are regulated, and the ordinance is recent. Read the guide before you count on rental income.
- Black Hawk
- No municipal short term rental ordinance, because there is no municipality. State licensing still applies, and the subdivision covenant usually decides.
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.
- Rapid City
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Black Hawk
- Rapid City Area Schools 51-4 for most addressesAssignment 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.
- Rapid City
- Groceries, the hospital and the airport are all inside the city, so a supply run is minutes rather than a trip.
- Black Hawk
- No full-service grocery store is in Black Hawk. Most larger grocery trips go into Rapid City.
Healthcarediffers
- Summerset
- Hospital-level care is in Rapid City, about 15 minutes south.
- Rapid City
- Monument Health's main campus is here, which is the reason a lot of the region drives in.
- Black Hawk
- Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
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.
- Rapid City
- Main Street Square and Art Alley downtown, with Mount Rushmore southwest, Custer State Park south and the Badlands east.
- Black Hawk
- Piedmont and the Stagebarn area are just north, with the central hills close enough for a half day.
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.
- Rapid City
- 13 mapped outlines, 13 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls.
- Black Hawk
- 12 mapped outlines, 5 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.
- Rapid City
- A working city with a real downtown, older streets with mature trees near the middle and new subdivisions on the edges.
- Black Hawk
- Unincorporated foothills pockets where lot size, home age and outbuildings change from one parcel to the next.
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.
- 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.
- Black Hawk
- Bigger lots, room for a shop, and about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown Rapid City, without a city hall setting the local rules.
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.
- 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.
- Black Hawk
- There is no city hall, so the subdivision covenant decides what you can build or rent, and water, sewer and road maintenance all change parcel to parcel.
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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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.