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.
8 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
- $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.
4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide
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
- $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- School district
- Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
- Typical price
- $320k to $500kMedian sold $385,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 117 closed sales.
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About 55 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- To downtown Rapid City
- About 50 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Utility pattern
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Verify water and sewer service for the address.
- School district
- Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district.
4 is the most that fits. Drop one first.Guide- 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.
Between Wall, Box Elder, Belle Fourche, Edgemont
The rows below are the ones where these do not read the same. Ordered as the table runs, not by importance.
- Region
- WallPrairie and BadlandsBox ElderRapid City and the Ellsworth corridorBelle FourcheNorthern Hills and I-90EdgemontCentral and Southern Hills
- County
- WallPennington CountyBox ElderPennington CountyBelle FourcheButte CountyEdgemontFall River County
- Jurisdiction
- WallIncorporated town of Wall, with Pennington County outside the limits.Box ElderCity of Box ElderBelle FourcheNot recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.EdgemontIncorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
- Corridor
- WallI-90 exits 109 and 110Box ElderI-90Belle FourcheUS-85 and SD-34EdgemontUS 18 and SD 471
- To downtown Rapid City
- WallAbout 50 miles west on I-90Box Elder19 min, 10.9 miBelle FourcheAbout 55 to 60 minutesEdgemontAbout 100 miles northeast
- To Ellsworth AFB
- WallAbout 43 miles westBox Elder9 min, 2.3 miBelle FourcheAbout an hourEdgemontAbout 110 miles
Wall, Box Elder, Belle Fourche, Edgemont
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 | Prairie and BadlandsWall | Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche | Central and Southern HillsEdgemont | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ||||
| Regiondiffers | Prairie and Badlands | Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor | Northern Hills and I-90 | Central and Southern Hills |
| Countydiffers | Pennington County | Pennington County | Butte County | Fall River County |
| JurisdictiondiffersCity versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work. | Incorporated town of Wall, with Pennington County outside the limits. | City of Box Elder | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground. | Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits. |
| Corridordiffers | I-90 exits 109 and 110 | I-90 | US-85 and SD-34 | US 18 and SD 471 |
| To downtown Rapid Citydiffers | About 50 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | 19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 55 to 60 minutesDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 100 miles northeastDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. |
| To Ellsworth AFBdiffers | About 43 miles westDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. | 9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak. | About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak. | About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel. |
| Winter drivingdiffers | I-90 is the lifeline and it is state maintained, but this is open prairie and I-90 does close in a ground blizzard. Plan for that a few times a winter. | 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. | Out on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing. | 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. |
| Housing and lots | ||||
| Typical pricediffers | 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. | $340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales. | $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales. | 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. |
| Housing agediffers | Older stock through town, with a municipal demolition incentive program in place for blighted property. | Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement | Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges | An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count. |
| New constructiondiffers | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | Active, with subdivisions still building | Limited, mostly infill and small projects | None underway |
| Acreagediffers | Acreage parcels are common here | Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size. | Larger lots and acreage become more common around the edges of Belle Fourche and in nearby rural subdivisions. | Acreage parcels are common here |
| Typical lotdiffers | Platted town lots, and then it jumps straight to ranch scale. | Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats | Generous in town, acreage out past it | Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them. |
| Covenants and HOAdiffersCovenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. | Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat. | Few plats here carry recorded covenants |
| Utilities and rules | ||||
| Utility patterndiffers | City water and sewer inside the limits | City water and sewer inside the limits | Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it | City water and sewer inside the limits |
| Waterdiffers | Town of Wall municipal water inside the limits. Rural parcels are on private wells. | City of Box Elder municipal | Municipal water inside the limits, a private well or a district system 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 Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells. |
| Sewerdiffers | Town sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels. | City of Box Elder municipal | 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 sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels. |
| Short term rentalsdiffers | This is genuine seasonal tourism territory at a national park gate. Confirm any town requirement, and note that Wall Drug houses many of its own seasonal workers, which removes demand from the local rental market. | A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up. | General zoning and state rules do the work in Belle Fourche. Confirm the lodging use category with city hall for the address before you count on rental income. | 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. |
| Schools | ||||
| School districtdiffers | Wall School District 51-5Assignment 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. | Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. | Edgemont School District 23-1Assignment follows the official boundary for the address. Confirm with the district. |
| Daily errands | ||||
| Groceriesdiffers | The Wall Food Center on South Boulevard West. | Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town. | Full-service grocery options in town include Lueders Food Centers and Lynn's Dakotamart. | Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more. |
| Healthcarediffers | The Monument Health Wall Clinic on 7th Avenue is in town. The nearest hospital is Monument Health Rapid City, roughly 50 miles west. | Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City. | Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish. | No hospital in town. Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs is a 25 bed critical access hospital with a 24 hour emergency department. |
| Recreationdiffers | Badlands National Park about seven miles south, Buffalo Gap National Grassland all around, the National Grasslands Visitor Center on Main Street and the Wall rodeo arena. | 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. | The Geographic Center of the Nation monument, the Tri-State Museum, and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo every Fourth of July week since 1918. | The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction. |
| Mapped subdivisions | ||||
| Outlines on filediffers | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | 16 mapped outlines, 3 with a full guideReference outlines from county and city GIS, not surveys. The recorded plat controls. | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. | No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet. |
| The trade | ||||
| Housing and patterndiffers | A complete small prairie town with its own school, clinic and grocery, at the northern gate to the Badlands. | A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned. | A ranching hub with a working main street, mature trees and a rodeo the whole town turns out for. | A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains. |
| What you gaindiffers | Everything a town needs in one place, 50 miles from the city, at prairie prices. | The Ellsworth main gate is in town, 9 minutes from most addresses, on city water and sewer, with the region's newest housing pipeline. | A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town. | More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities. |
| What you give updiffers | Fifty miles to a hospital and to real shopping, and an economy that runs on a three month season. | 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 is 55 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth about an hour, so this is a commute you pick on purpose. | A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy. |
- Prairie and BadlandsWall
- Northern Hills and I-90Belle Fourche
- Central and Southern HillsEdgemont
Where it sits
Regiondiffers
- Wall
- Prairie and Badlands
- Box Elder
- Rapid City and the Ellsworth corridor
- Belle Fourche
- Northern Hills and I-90
- Edgemont
- Central and Southern Hills
Countydiffers
- Wall
- Pennington County
- Box Elder
- Pennington County
- Belle Fourche
- Butte County
- Edgemont
- Fall River County
Jurisdictiondiffers
City versus county decides who provides service and who inspects the work.- Wall
- Incorporated town of Wall, with Pennington County outside the limits.
- Box Elder
- City of Box Elder
- Belle Fourche
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The address decides whether it is city or county ground.
- Edgemont
- Incorporated city of Edgemont, with Fall River County outside the limits.
Corridordiffers
- Wall
- I-90 exits 109 and 110
- Box Elder
- I-90
- Belle Fourche
- US-85 and SD-34
- Edgemont
- US 18 and SD 471
To downtown Rapid Citydiffers
- Wall
- About 50 miles west on I-90Distance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Box Elder
- 19 min, 10.9 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Belle Fourche
- About 55 to 60 minutesDriving 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.
To Ellsworth AFBdiffers
- Wall
- About 43 miles westDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
- Box Elder
- 9 min, 2.3 miDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Belle Fourche
- About an hourDriving time and distance, off peak.
- Edgemont
- About 110 milesDistance only. Drive time is not measured for this community, so time it from the parcel.
Winter drivingdiffers
- Wall
- I-90 is the lifeline and it is state maintained, but this is open prairie and I-90 does close in a ground blizzard. Plan for that a few times a winter.
- 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.
- Belle Fourche
- Out on the acreage the question is who maintains the road in winter, and it is worth asking in writing.
- 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.
Housing and lots
Typical pricediffers
- Wall
- 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.
- Box Elder
- $340k to $400kMedian sold $367,000. Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 235 closed sales.
- Belle Fourche
- $275k to $375kMedian sold $300,000. Mount Rushmore Area MLS, all residential, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026. 113 closed sales.
- 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.
Housing agediffers
- Wall
- Older stock through town, with a municipal demolition incentive program in place for blighted property.
- Box Elder
- Heavily new construction since the B-21 announcement
- Belle Fourche
- Older homes in town, newer construction on the edges
- Edgemont
- An 1890 railroad town, so mostly older stock, with about a quarter of units vacant at the 2020 count.
New constructiondiffers
- Wall
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Box Elder
- Active, with subdivisions still building
- Belle Fourche
- Limited, mostly infill and small projects
- Edgemont
- None underway
Acreagediffers
- Wall
- Acreage parcels are common here
- Box Elder
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. The recorded plat carries the lot size.
- Belle Fourche
- Larger lots and acreage become more common around the edges of Belle Fourche and in nearby rural subdivisions.
- Edgemont
- Acreage parcels are common here
Typical lotdiffers
- Wall
- Platted town lots, and then it jumps straight to ranch scale.
- Box Elder
- Small city lots, about 0.15 to 0.18 acres in the newer plats
- Belle Fourche
- Generous in town, acreage out past it
- Edgemont
- Town lots inside the limits, ranch scale outside them.
Covenants and HOAdiffers
Covenants are recorded per plat. The title commitment lists what binds the parcel.- Wall
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
- Box Elder
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
- Belle Fourche
- Not recorded townwide in this guide. Read the recorded documents for the plat.
- Edgemont
- Few plats here carry recorded covenants
Utilities and rules
Utility patterndiffers
- Wall
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- Box Elder
- City water and sewer inside the limits
- Belle Fourche
- Mixed, municipal service in town with well and septic outside it
- Edgemont
- City water and sewer inside the limits
Waterdiffers
- Wall
- Town of Wall municipal water inside the limits. Rural parcels are on private wells.
- Box Elder
- City of Box Elder municipal
- Belle Fourche
- Municipal water inside the limits, a private well or a district system outside them.Read off the townwide utility pattern in the guide. The service address controls, so confirm the provider before you write an offer.
- Edgemont
- City of Edgemont municipal water. Rural parcels are on private wells.
Sewerdiffers
- Wall
- Town sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.
- Box Elder
- City of Box Elder municipal
- Belle Fourche
- 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.
- Edgemont
- City sewer inside the limits, with private septic on rural parcels.
Short term rentalsdiffers
- Wall
- This is genuine seasonal tourism territory at a national park gate. Confirm any town requirement, and note that Wall Drug houses many of its own seasonal workers, which removes demand from the local rental market.
- Box Elder
- A verify first town for rental plans, with one specific misconception the guide clears up.
- Belle Fourche
- General zoning and state rules do the work in Belle Fourche. Confirm the lodging use category with city hall for the address before you count on rental income.
- 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.
Schools
School districtdiffers
- Wall
- Wall School District 51-5Assignment 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.
- Belle Fourche
- Belle Fourche School District 9-1Assignment 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.
Daily errands
Groceriesdiffers
- Wall
- The Wall Food Center on South Boulevard West.
- Box Elder
- Lynn's Dakotamart is a full-service grocery store in town.
- Belle Fourche
- Full-service grocery options in town include Lueders Food Centers and Lynn's Dakotamart.
- Edgemont
- Small-town grocery and convenience in Edgemont, with Hot Springs about 35 miles east for more.
Healthcarediffers
- Wall
- The Monument Health Wall Clinic on 7th Avenue is in town. The nearest hospital is Monument Health Rapid City, roughly 50 miles west.
- Box Elder
- Monument Health Box Elder Clinic provides primary and urgent care in town. Hospital-level care is in Rapid City.
- Belle Fourche
- Monument Health has a clinic in Belle Fourche. Hospital-level care is available in Spearfish.
- 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.
Recreationdiffers
- Wall
- Badlands National Park about seven miles south, Buffalo Gap National Grassland all around, the National Grasslands Visitor Center on Main Street and the Wall rodeo arena.
- 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.
- Belle Fourche
- The Geographic Center of the Nation monument, the Tri-State Museum, and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo every Fourth of July week since 1918.
- Edgemont
- The hundred-year-old city park, the campground, the Elk Mountains and open country in every direction.
Mapped subdivisions
Outlines on filediffers
- Wall
- 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.
- Belle Fourche
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
- Edgemont
- No recorded subdivision outlines drawn for this community yet.
The trade
Housing and patterndiffers
- Wall
- A complete small prairie town with its own school, clinic and grocery, at the northern gate to the Badlands.
- Box Elder
- A young city building its first downtown at Liberty Plaza on 110 acres, with roughly 800 residential units planned.
- Belle Fourche
- A ranching hub with a working main street, mature trees and a rodeo the whole town turns out for.
- Edgemont
- A working BNSF crew-change town founded in 1890, at the far southern edge of the Hills below the Elk Mountains.
What you gaindiffers
- Wall
- Everything a town needs in one place, 50 miles from the city, at prairie prices.
- 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.
- Belle Fourche
- A $300,000 median across 113 trailing twelve month sales, under Spearfish, Sturgis and Deadwood, with acreage out past town.
- Edgemont
- More town per dollar than anywhere else in the region, with its own school district and city utilities.
What you give updiffers
- Wall
- Fifty miles to a hospital and to real shopping, and an economy that runs on a three month season.
- 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.
- Belle Fourche
- Rapid City is 55 to 60 minutes and Ellsworth about an hour, so this is a commute you pick on purpose.
- Edgemont
- A hundred miles from Rapid City, 35 from a hospital, with two unresolved questions hanging over the local economy.
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.
