Keystone
Population ~300 · Pennington County
Gateway to America's most iconic monument. Keystone's entire identity is Mount Rushmore tourism — souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, and themed restaurants. 3 million visitors annually but only 300 year-round residents.
~300
Population
$30,000-$35,000
Median Income
$200,000-$250,000
Median Home Price
Mount Rushmore tourism (100% seasonal)
Key Industry
The Challenge
Keystone is the most seasonal economy in the Black Hills. From October through April, the town essentially closes. Most businesses board up. Workers leave. It is a place that 3 million people visit annually but almost nobody lives in.
~300
Population
$30,000-$35,000
Median Income
~15-20%
Poverty Rate
BHC's Role in Keystone
How Seed Foundation and the Black Hills Consortium are investing in Keystone's future.
Micro-coworking space — 2-4 desks for remote workers near Rushmore
THE OP pop-up or satellite — year-round coffee/food option
Off-season event programming — winter speaker series, film screenings
Settle the West — targeting outdoors-focused remote workers
Trail/recreation infrastructure — four-season trail development
Projected Impact by Year 5
Conservative projections based on the Tulsa Remote model and BHC's base case financials.
3-5
BHC Jobs
50-60
Relocations
$2.1M
Economic Impact (5yr)
18-23
New Students
What makes Keystone unique
Highest proportional impact in the network. Adding 50 households to a town of 300 is a 15-20% population increase — potentially transformational.
School District
Hill City School District 51-2
Current enrollment: ~20-30 Keystone students
Projected new students by Year 5: 18-23
South Dakota funds ~$6,200 per student.
Housing
Median home price: $200,000-$250,000
South Dakota has 0% state income tax. Combined with affordable housing, relocators build wealth dramatically faster than in coastal cities.
“Three million people visit your town every year, and almost none of them live here. Even 50 new year-round households would increase your population by 15-20%.”
— The pitch to Keystone
Move to Keystone
Apply to Settle the West and start your new life in the Black Hills.