Ellsworth AFB
Air Force Rapid City, South Dakota
Top neighborhoods near Ellsworth AFB
Box Elder
An unincorporated community directly adjacent to Ellsworth with the most affordable housing and fastest gate access. Very popular with junior enlisted.
5 min to main gate
Rapid City (West Side)
The western neighborhoods of Rapid City closest to Ellsworth with newer developments, good schools, and proximity to the Black Hills.
15–20 min to main gate
Rapid City (Robbinsdale)
An established Rapid City neighborhood with mid-century homes, mature trees, and a neighborhood feel popular with NCO and officer families.
20–25 min to main gate
Rapid City Area Schools
RCAS serves both Rapid City and the Ellsworth area. It's the largest district in western South Dakota and offers solid academics. The district has invested heavily in career and technical education.
What families should know
- Stevens High School and Central High School are the district's flagship secondary schools
- Strong dual-credit programs with Western Dakota Tech and South Dakota Mines
- Excellent extracurricular activities including competitive outdoor sports programs
Life around Ellsworth AFB
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The iconic carved presidential faces in the Black Hills granite — one of America's most recognized landmarks, just 30 miles from the base.
Badlands National Park
Otherworldly eroded buttes, spires, and prairie less than an hour east of Ellsworth with exceptional fossil beds and bison herds.
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Area
The legendary annual gathering each August in Sturgis, just 30 minutes away, draws hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists to the Black Hills.
Firehouse Brewing Co.
Rapid City's pioneering craft brewery in a restored 1915 firehouse serving house-brewed beers and hearty American food downtown.
Custer State Park
A vast state park in the Black Hills with free-roaming bison herds, pristine lakes, scenic drives, and one of the nation's best state park lodge systems.
Reptile Gardens
The world's largest reptile zoo near Rapid City featuring alligators, giant tortoises, and spectacular bird shows — a favorite for military families.
Buying or renting near Ellsworth AFB
Home Prices
$240,000–$380,000
Typical Rent
$1,100–$1,700/mo
Rapid City remains one of the more affordable upper-Midwest markets. The Black Hills lifestyle draws remote workers, which has pushed prices up modestly. Strong BAH-to-cost ratio.
Popular neighborhoods: Box Elder, West Rapid City
Orders to Ellsworth AFB?
Get pre-approved before you arrive. A VA loan specialist can have your numbers ready this week.
Call (719) 259-2246