Photo: Gary Chancey, Black Hills National Forest · Public domain70 homes sold in Lead in the last year, at a typical $257K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Lead homes are listed.
Every place Lead homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Lead.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 87% of Lead’s sales, at a typical $244K
70 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 61 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $162SD $182
- Days to sell
- 81
- Sold over asking
- 10%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 5 sold, typical $392K
Townhouses: 1 sold, typical $246K
Condos: 3 sold, typical $170K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 2.8 times the 2016 price
70 sales in the last year, against 113 in 2021 and a low of 56 in 2015. The typical sale went from $91K in 2016 to $257K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $250K buys in Lead
Check a listing against what Lead homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Lead are back to pre-pandemic levels, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Lead’s home sales since 2015 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 70 sales.
If you’re buying in Lead
- Shop in August. It brings about 9 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (14% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 95.8% of the list price on average; 9% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 32% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 81 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 10 a month), but April is the most competitive: 27% of April sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (16%). December has the least competition (8%) but only about 4 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than South Dakota
| Lead now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | SD now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 9% | 8% | 29% | 16% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 32% | 0% | 2% | 29% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | — | — | 20% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 95.8% | 94.3% | 97.7% | 97.5% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 81 | 116 | 92 | 59 |
34 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2015 low (22) and 17% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 20% across South Dakota.
Lead ranks 15th of 19 busy South Dakota markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Lead is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2015 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Lead home costs about $1,552 a month
Price: Lead’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Lead’s 1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Lead is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 4.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $257K home, about $2,530 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Lead, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in LeadCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Deadwood and Spearfish for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Lead, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish | 159 | $477K | $214 | 6% | 92 |
| Sturgis | 101 | $340K | $202 | 14% | 83 |
| Lead | 70 | $257K | $164 | 9% | 81 |
| Summerset | 56 | $432K | $204 | 12% | 88 |
| Deadwood | 29 | $484K | $205 | 7% | 117 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Lead, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Lead. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Lead with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Lead
What do homes sell for in Lead, SD?
70 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $257K, $164 a square foot.
Is Lead a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 35 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 5 sold, about 7 months of supply. Buyers paid 95.8% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Lead?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Lead?
About 1% of a home’s value a year. On a $257K home that’s near $2,530.
Where can I see homes for sale in Lead?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Lead’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Lead.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).