Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Keystone’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, above both South Dakota’s towns (17 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Keystone. 40% of the land in Keystone is conserved, above both South Dakota’s towns (3.3%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Its National Register listings include Peter Norbeck Summer House and Civilian Conservation Corp Camp F-10. Keystone has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Keystone beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 295 in 1980, 240 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Keystone. Close and well known come first.
Big drawin town National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw11 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
6 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
Big draw32 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
10 mi State parkCuster State Park
18 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a yearMount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Keystone, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Keystone.
The typical Keystone home is worth about $621,000, up 0.6% in a year, 95% above the South Dakota typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Watson City Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The FEMA risk score in Keystone is 91 of 100. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Keystone since 1991.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keystone’s July high is 81°F. Keystone has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Keystone for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Keystone has added 33 jobs, to 165 in 2023. 6.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Keystone.
| Keystone | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.8% | 29% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $72,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keystone beats the South Dakota average on 7 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 12% of Keystone adults report frequent mental distress. Of the 36 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Keystone.
| Keystone | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Keystone | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9% | 12.7% |
| Fewer smokers | 11.8% | 15.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Keystone; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Keystone residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
4 places in Keystone on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in South Dakota, United States
Keystone is a city in the Black Hills region of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 240 at the 2020 census. It had its origins in 1883 as a mining town, and has since transformed itself into a resort town, serving the needs of the millions of visitors to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which is located just beyond the town limits. Keystone was heavily damaged in the 1972 Black Hills flood. The town took its name from a local mine, which most likely was named after the keystone Masonic symbol.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Keystone has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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