Hot Springs (Rapid City, Spearfish: real estate, sex offenders, houses)

[dadbud]

Does anyone have information on the Hot Springs area? Seems like a good location - 50 miles from Rapid City and good size population. What's the school system like? We have children that would be in elementary and high school.

Thanks!

[DannyBanany]

Hot Springs is a very nice, clean town. I believe it has a population of about 5,000 or 6,000 people and they are all pretty friendly. I drive through Hot Springs on my way to Denver and back home to Rapid City and IMO it is in a very beautiful area of the Black Hills with great scenery and a really neat downtown area.

Some tourist attractions there are Evans Plunge, a naturally-warmed indoor water park; The Mammoth Site, a site where multiple wooley mamoths were discovered by accident; and all of the natural springs that stay warm all year long.

It is really a beautiful area. If I had to choose any town in the Black Hills to live in other than Rapid City it would be Hot Springs or Spearfish in the Northern Hills

[dadbud]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like a nice community. Do most people drive to Rapid City for employment or is their opportunity in the Hot Springs area for employment? My wife is an RN so she can find a job most anywhere. I'm into manufacturing with experience in Logistics, Transportation and warehousing.

[DannyBanany]

I believe a few people commute into Rapid City for work, but for an RN work should be available in Hot Springs. Rapid City Regional Hospital has branches in every Black Hills town and that is likely where she would work.

Logistics is just about the same. You should be able to find work anywhere. I would guess that Hot Springs schools are very nice. Your kids will know everyone in their class, and if they are active, they will know everyone in Hot Springs!

Where are you moving from?

[Jammie]

Hot Springs, South Dakota (SD) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

I agree with Danny. Hot Springs is a very nice area, although I don't live there either. But I believe we have two members who live there and will pop in with more in-depth info for you.

You may want to check out the above site just to get a bit of generic answers to your questions. Oh and Evans Plunge~it's Heavenly.

[dadbud]

We're moving from good ol Alabama. Cultural shock for us HUH? Actually I've been to the area about 20 years ago and have wanted to live there ever since.

[uncleharley]

I just got back from Hot Springs. We will be starting construction on our house there sometime this winter.
Since I am retired, I did not check out the school system before choosing Hot Springs, but I have not heard anything negative about it.
There should be plenty of job opportunities in Hot Springs for an RN, either at the regional VA hospital or at the clinic.
There is not a lot of manufactoring going on in Hot Springs itself, but the commute to Rapid should be easy. The highway runs the length of the banana belt and has the best winter driving in the state.
The people in and around Hot Springs are some of the friendliest, most helpful folks I have ever met. But, speaking of cultural shock, one gal we spoke with mentioned that there are a lot of people moving in and some are bringing their attitudes with them. I don't see that as a problem, but some things are changing.
When you choose a place to live in the area, You will find that water is a precious commodity in the southern hills. You may want to find something inside the city limits of Hot Springs with it's municipal water supply. Some of the sub-divisions in the country have community wells that are reliable. In other area's you can drill a private well, but there are no guarantee's about how deep you will have to go or how good the water will be. Other area's have solid rock that you can drill thru until you hit a chinaman in the butt and still not find water. There are many ways to deal with the problem, but most of it will come as a surprise to a stranger.

Good Luck,
uh

[dadbud]

OK thanks for the info. I'll be sure not to bring my attitude with me. I don't know where you are moving from but what is the cost of housing like in Hot Springs? I'm sure it would be higher than what we are used to here in the south. I'd love to have a few acres and would tolerate an older house that needs work to save on cost. But like you said, water is the problem so we must make sure we have a good water source.

[uncleharley]

Old houses frequently come with old wells so you may not have to worry. Many houses have cisterns built into them and the owners either haul their water from the well in Hot Springs or hire someone to do it. That is just an item you will have to ask about when you spot something that has possibilities. My impression is that acerage with water and some kind of buildings has become a little expensive, but your best bet is to check with a local realtor. I picked up a small lot [.7 acre] with a community well for $25,000 last december. Prices are noticably higher now. I am from Wisconsin and have found that housing in general is less expensive in Hot Springs than most of Wisconsin. I really have no idea how either one would compare with Alabama.

[DannyBanany]

I would say the average Black Hills home (3 bed, 3 bath, 2 car, and 10 years old) runs at around $180,000. Homes out of city limits can be a bit pricier.