Living in Hot Springs, South Dakota
The southern Hills banana belt: warmer, drier winters than the northern Hills, and a sandstone downtown built along the Fall River.
- County
- Fall River County
- Population
- 3,396 in the 2020 census, about 3,700 on current estimates
- Drive To Rapid City
- About 60 minutes
- To Ellsworth AFB
- About an hour and fifteen minutes
- School District
- Hot Springs School District 23-2
A sandstone county seat built around a warm river, with less snow to move than the northern Hills.
Facts checked August 2026
Hot Springs is the Fall River County seat an hour south of Rapid City, and it gets less winter than anywhere else in the Black Hills.
Why people move to Hot Springs
The Fall River runs warm through the middle of town, year round. The downtown along it is built out of local sandstone, block after block of it, and you can spend an afternoon walking that stretch. Evans Plunge is the city pool, fed by the springs. The Mammoth Site is an active dig you can walk through a few minutes away.
Locals call this the banana belt and they mean it. Less snow to move, shorter stretches of hard cold, and more of the year when being outside is the obvious plan. If you looked at Lead or Deadwood and flinched at the winter, this is the same range with a different climate.
Angostura is about 10 miles out for boat days and beach afternoons, Wind Cave about 11. There is water in every direction here, which you cannot say about most of the Hills.
The trade is highway miles. Rapid City is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, Ellsworth about fifteen minutes past that, and none of that gets shorter.
Water is the reason Hot Springs looks and lives the way it does
The Fall River runs warm through downtown, the mineral springs built the sandstone buildings around it, and even the fossil site turned up because of water.
A warm river through the middle of town
The Fall River runs through downtown and does not freeze the way the rest of the Hills does, which is why the sandstone blocks along it were built where they were.
City owned, spring fed, since 1890
87Faverage water temperature
Roughly 5,000 gallons a minute of natural spring water averaging 87F, run by the city rather than a resort, so it stays a local pool in the off season.
An active dig, indoors, year round
1974first tusk uncovered
It exists because grading for a housing development uncovered a tusk in 1974, which is a fair warning about what the ground here can hold.
Fall River Flight Fest
August 28 to 30 in 2026, with balloon launches, skydiving and paragliding, and downtown activity at Centennial Park. One weekend on the town calendar, not a daily amenity.
Why buyers choose Hot Springs
- Warm winters by Black Hills standards.
- A sandstone historic downtown you can spend an afternoon in.
- Water in every direction, between the Fall River, Evans Plunge and Angostura.
- Acreage a few minutes out of town at prices under the northern Hills, on a $315,150 town median across the trailing twelve months.
Things to consider
- Rapid City is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, and Ellsworth about fifteen minutes past that, which is a lot of highway for a daily commute.
- Full service shopping and the region's main hospital campus are that same hour north.
- The older downtown stock carries the maintenance you expect from stone buildings of that age.
- Acreage outside town is a well and a septic system, or in places a district system with a monthly bill, and longer emergency response.
Growing again, after a long stretch of not
The census counted 3,396 residents in 2020. The town now sits near 3,700 and has been growing about 1.7 percent a year, which reverses decades of decline. That changes how I read the market here: steady absorption instead of thin demand, and more competition for the well kept homes near downtown than there was five years ago.
Two things anchor it. The VA's Battle Mountain campus, a National Historic Landmark, was retained after a long closure fight and remains a significant local employer. Fall River Health Services has been building workforce housing, which is the kind of investment a town only makes when it expects to need the beds filled. Employment and housing supply moving in the same direction is the healthiest signal a small market can give you.
What the distance buys you
For anyone driving into Rapid City every morning this is a lot of road. For remote work, for a job at the VA campus or Fall River Health, and for buyers who want acreage at prices the northern Hills stopped offering, the miles come back to you in land. Acreage a few minutes outside of town prices well below the northern Hills, and I currently have a listing here.
What your budget buys here
Under the $315,150 median
An older house in the downtown grid, close to the river and the Freedom Trail, with systems and a roof to price in.
Above it
Acreage outside town, or a larger updated house. The active list median is $465,000, so what is standing for sale sits well above what has closed.
Want to know what your budget buys here? Ask Henry.
Living here day to day
- Groceries
- Full-service grocery options in town include Sonny's Super Foods and Lynn's Dakotamart.
- Eating out
- Big Time Pizza, The 1891 Steakhouse and Bistro, Southern Hills Diner, Wandering Bison Coffee and Jalapenos Grill.
- Healthcare
- Fall River Health Services operates a hospital, 24-hour emergency department and rural health clinic in Hot Springs.
- Highway access
- US-79 and US-18, with Rapid City about an hour north.
- Parks
- The sandstone historic downtown runs along the Warm Fall River.
- Recreation
- Evans Plunge, the city run mineral springs pool, the Mammoth Site dig in the middle of town, Wind Cave National Park about 11 miles out and Angostura Reservoir about 10 miles for lake days.
- Work
- The VA's Battle Mountain campus, a National Historic Landmark, was retained after a long closure fight and remains a significant local employer.
How far to things
- Nearest hospital
- In town
Fall River Health Services. An independent critical access hospital, not part of Monument Health.
Typical driving time with clear roads.
What to check before you write an offer
On any address you are serious about, buyer due diligence should include the school assignment from the district, the water quality report from the utility that serves it, and the assessed value and levy from the county. Here are the sources for each one.
The sources, by category
Schools
Confirm the assigned school for a specific address with the district, because boundaries change and they change more often than people expect. Rapid City Area Schools boundary maps · Douglas School District 51-1 · Meade School District 46-1 · Spearfish School District 40-2 · School and district profiles on GreatSchools · Preschools and private schools in the Black Hills
Crime data
Drinking water
Every public water system publishes an annual water quality report. Read the one for the system that serves the address you are considering, not the one for the town next door. Rapid City water quality reports · City of Box Elder Water Division · City of Spearfish water · EPA drinking water lookup
Property taxes and assessed value
Pennington County Equalization · Meade County Equalization · Lawrence County Equalization
The county record, the plat and the recorded covenants are the three documents to read on any address here. I do not rate schools and I do not characterize neighborhoods as safe or unsafe. Those readings are yours to make from the sources above.
See what's for sale now
These open my search site, where the listings update from the MLS through the day. This page is the background; that one is the inventory.
Hot Springs home prices and market data
Closed sales and county valuations for Hot Springs, with the source and the date on every figure.
EvidenceThe county record, in detailParcel counts, recorded prices and what each figure comes from for Hot Springs.
What the numbers say in Hot Springs
- Closed Sales
- 24
- Median Sold
- $315,150
- Average Sold
- $336,791
- Median Days On Market
- 55
- Active Listings
- 20
- Median List
- $465,000
Source: Black Hills MLS, single family, trailing 12 months, as of August 2026.
The MLS figures on this site are average sold prices, not medians and not assessed values. They cover single family homes only, so land, manufactured homes on their own lots and condominiums are left out. The MLS records one city per listing, and rural property is often filed under a nearby larger town, so a small town count can miss sales that happened in the area.
Can you Airbnb or short-term rent in Hot Springs?
There is no city short-term rental ordinance I can locate as of August 2026, and unincorporated Fall River County does not administer zoning districts. That does not mean there is nothing to satisfy: county septic capacity, access and any recorded covenant still govern. Verify at the parcel before you count on the income.
The rules in detail
- As of August 2026 the city's ordinance listings show nothing on short-term rentals. Confirm any business license requirement directly with Hot Springs City Hall before you advertise a property.
- In unincorporated Fall River County the county states there is no planning and zoning outside city limits, so there is no county short-term rental permit.
- County building permits are required only in floodplains. Septic systems are installed to state standards.
- There is no municipal tax on county land, so the tax picture differs from a property inside city limits.
- State rules apply everywhere: a South Dakota sales tax license once you rent 10 or more days a year, 4.2 percent state tax plus 1.5 percent tourism tax, and South Dakota Department of Health lodging licensure.
- Rental rules change, sometimes quickly. Confirm current requirements with the city and the county for the exact parcel before you write an offer that depends on rental income.
Short-term rental rules change, and they change fast. This summary reflects my research as of August 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. If rental income is part of why you are buying, verify the current requirements with the city or county that has jurisdiction over the specific address, and read the subdivision covenants, before you write an offer.
Hot Springs schools and school district
Hot Springs School District 23-2 serves about 710 students with a 14 to 1 student to teacher ratio.
School by school
- Hot Springs High School enrolls about 215 students, with a 12 to 1 ratio.
- The high school reports a 77 percent graduation rate, offers AP coursework, and self-reports an average ACT of 23.
- ACT figures are self-reported by the school.
- Verify attendance boundaries with the district for the specific address, since assignment can differ from what a listing states.
I provide objective school information consistently and do not personally rate or recommend schools. Attendance boundaries can cross city and county lines, and the district's current assignment for the exact address controls. Verify directly with the district before making a school-driven decision.
Things to do in Hot Springs, SD
Where to eat
Places that are open and worth your time:
What people do
What a resident week uses:
- Evans Plunge, the city-run mineral springs pool, open all winter
- The Freedom Trail along the Warm Fall River, for a walk that starts downtown
- Angostura Reservoir, ten miles out, for boating, fishing and the sand beach
- Hunting and hiking in Wind Cave National Park country north of town
- The Mammoth Site, an active dig you can walk into on a Saturday
The stuff that ends up on the calendar
- Fall River Flight Festlate August
Balloons launch early over the valley, skydivers and paragliders come in through the day, and downtown runs a vendor market plus a night glow. Formerly the Fall River Hot Air Balloon Festival.
2026 dates: Aug 28 to 30
Hot Springs, SD frequently asked questions
Is Hot Springs really warmer than the rest of the Black Hills?
Yes, and that is the local reputation for a reason. The chinook-favored southern foothills make winters here noticeably warmer and drier than the northern Hills, which is why people call it the banana belt. Expect less snow and fewer long cold stretches than Lead, Deadwood or Spearfish.
Can I run a short-term rental in Hot Springs?
As of August 2026 I cannot locate a city short-term rental ordinance, and the county reports no planning and zoning outside city limits, so there is no county permit either. Check with City Hall about any business license, and plan on the state requirements: a sales tax license at 10 or more rental days a year, 4.2 percent state plus 1.5 percent tourism tax, and Department of Health lodging licensure. Rules can change, so confirm for the parcel.
Is the drive to Rapid City workable?
It is about an hour on US-79 and US-18, with Ellsworth roughly fifteen minutes beyond that. Daily commuters usually look closer in. Remote workers, locally employed buyers and anyone prioritizing acreage and mild winters tend to find the drive an easy trade.
Who works here?
The VA's Battle Mountain campus, retained after a closure fight, and Fall River Health Services are the two largest employers, along with the school district, the city and ranching in the country around town. Fall River Health has been building workforce housing, which tells you the labor market is tighter than a town of roughly 3,700 sounds.
Also compare
Still sorting the towns out? Compare every community side by side on price, commute, utilities and what each one costs you.
Keep reading on Hot Springs
How South Dakota permits and regulates private wells, the water testing I recommend before closing, what FHA and VA loans require, and how to pull a well's history before you rely on it.
Outside city sewer lines, a septic system is just infrastructure, not a red flag. Here's how permitting, mound systems, inspections, and costs work for first-time rural buyers in the Black Hills.
Rapid City, Box Elder, Piedmont, Sturgis, Spearfish, Lead, Deadwood, Hot Springs, Custer and Hill City, compared on commute, inventory, and price.
My free buyer's guide, written for wells, septic, hail history and PCS timelines in this region.
Price, down payment, rate, taxes, insurance and HOA in one number.
Hospitals, VA care and specialty services across the region, town by town.
Lakes, trails, skiing, parks, pools, food, shopping and recreation across the region.
New to the Black Hills? Start with the questions people ask.
City water or acreage well and septic, and how close that lot really sits to the Fall River. Both worth knowing well ahead of an offer, and both easy enough for me to run down.
Considering a home here?
Send the address and we can talk it through. The details that change from one property to the next are jurisdiction, water and sewer, the school the district assigns, covenants, road maintenance and the rest of what never shows up on a listing.
Homes for sale in Hot Springs, SD
Buying or selling in Hot Springs?
Call or text 605-490-2040 and we can talk through what is realistic in Hot Springs right now, including what has closed. Every active listing in the area is on my search site.
Last updated August 2026
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, lending or financial advice. Facts and figures are cited from public sources as of August 2026 and change over time. Henry Roy is a licensed real estate professional with Ascend Realty in South Dakota. Equal Housing Opportunity.