Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Hermosa vs Keystone

12 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (2.3× in Hermosa) and conserved land (+39.5 pts in Keystone).

×
Hermosa, SDHomes around $529KSouth Dakota · 353 people
×
Keystone, SDHomes around $624KSouth Dakota · 336 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

HermosaHomes around $529K
Housing$529K typical home64% above the SD typical home All about Hermosa →
KeystoneHomes around $624K
Housing$624K typical home94% above the SD typical home HistorySettled in 18834 places on the National Register All about Keystone →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Rent2.3×
Rent runs higher in Hermosa
Hermosa $1,264Keystone $546
Conserved land+39.5 pts
Keystone has more conserved land
Keystone 39.5%Hermosa 0%
Street grid2.2×
Hermosa has the more walkable street grid
Hermosa 39.2Keystone 17.7
Seasonal homes+14.4 pts
Keystone has more second homes
Keystone 16.4%Hermosa 2%
Typical home built14 yrs
Keystone’s homes are older
Hermosa 1991Keystone 1977
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,020 more a month in Keystone

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Hermosa$3,190/mo
Typical home $529K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $1,264/mo · Housing →
Keystone$4,210/mo
Typical home $624K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $546/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,020 a month, about $12,200 a year, between Keystone and Hermosa.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every South Dakota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
BHermosaBetter than 55% of districts in the state –KeystoneNot graded
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
HermosaKeystone
Snow a year33″59″
January low—19°F
July high—79°F
Growing season (days)—138d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th91st
Outdoors & history
HermosaKeystone
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled—1883
National Register places14
Archive photos1218
Famous people born here—1
Community
HermosaKeystone
Library hours a week17 hrs29 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

12 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

HermosaKeystoneHermosaKeystone
Hermosa ↔ Keystone12 miles apart
Who commutes between them
1 Keystone residents work in Hermosa (0.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Keystone →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

HermosaKeystone
People
Population 353Highest 336Lowest
Median age 40.1±17.7Highest 6% above SD 38.1±7.1Lowest about the SD average
Hermosa and Keystone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.5%±7.1Lowest SD: 24.2% 29.2%±6.9Highest SD: 24.2%
Keystone and Hermosa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.5%±10.9Highest SD: 18% 13.4%±3.5Lowest SD: 18%
Hermosa and Keystone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.5%Lowest SD: 31.9% 13.5%Highest SD: 31.9%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2%±4.1Highest SD: 5% 0%±4.2Lowest SD: 5%
Hermosa and Keystone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $53,203±$24kLowest 29% below SD $64,702±$11kHighest 14% below SD
Keystone and Hermosa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $148,800±$77kLowest 42% below SD $263,900±$232kHighest about the SD average
Keystone and Hermosa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,264±$172Highest 34% above SD $546±$392Lowest 42% below SD
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,397 49% below SD —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 26%±44.8Highest SD: 39.8% 24.1%±51.9Lowest SD: 39.8%
Hermosa and Keystone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.2%Highest SD: 11.9% 6.8%Lowest SD: 11.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.9%Lowest SD: 68.6% 70.1%Highest SD: 68.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 11 yrs newer than SD 1977Lowest 3 yrs older than SD
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minLowest 61% above SD 33 minHighest 83% above SD
Work from home 13.5%±10Highest SD: 9.7% 3.9%±2.8Lowest SD: 9.7%
Hermosa and Keystone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2.8%Lowest 5.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miHighest 15.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.99Lowest 1.38Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Rapid City (29%)Rapid City (61%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Keystone1% work in Hermosa
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 39.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 39.2Highest 17.7Lowest
Schools
School district Custer School District 16-1—
High school in town None in town—
South Dakota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Hermosa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hermosa’s Town Square.

Keystone neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Keystone’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hermosa and Keystone

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Hermosa

T
+ Compare
Trent341 people · $145K homes
T
+ Compare
Toronto238 people · $99K homes
I
+ Compare
Irene456 people · $87K homes
+ Compare
New Underwood509 people · $194K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Post to Hermosa

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in