Deadwood, South Dakota
Where the Wild West never ended. Population 1,340. 80+ casinos on a National Historic Landmark main street. Days of '76 Rodeo since 1924. Kevin Costner's Midnight Star. THE CULT convention venue. $250K homes. Zero state income tax. The most entertaining small town in America.
~1,340
Population
$250K
Median Home
60-73
Y5 Relocations
80+
Casinos
The Opportunity
Why Deadwood
A gold rush town that never stopped being wild. 80+ casinos, a National Historic Landmark downtown, world-class entertainment, and adjacency to SURF in Lead — all for the cost of living of a small mountain town.
South Dakota's ONLY Legal Gaming City
80+ casinos line historic Main Street. Deadwood is the only city in the state where gaming is legal — a constitutional amendment in 1989 revitalized this gold rush town into a year-round entertainment destination.
National Historic Landmark
The entire city of Deadwood is a National Historic Landmark. Walk the same streets as Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock. Every building tells a story from the 1876 gold rush.
Days of '76 Rodeo
Since 1924, one of the premier PRCA-sanctioned rodeos in the nation. Three days of professional rodeo, parades, and Western heritage — drawing thousands to Deadwood every July.
THE CULT Convention Venue (Y3+)
Deadwood's 1,500 hotel rooms and entertainment infrastructure make it the perfect home for THE CULT convention — 500-5,000 attendees generating $2.5M-$8M in local impact annually.
Adjacent to Lead + SURF
A 5-minute drive to Lead — home of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. 200+ scientists, $50M+ DOE budget, and the deepest underground lab in North America. Science and saloons, side by side.
Zero State Income Tax
South Dakota has no state income tax. A remote worker earning $100K keeps $4,400+ more per year than in Colorado, and $10,900+ more than in New York.
The Math
Gaming Town, Small Town Prices
Live in a town with 80+ casinos, live music every night, and world-class restaurants — for a fraction of the cost of Vegas, Denver, or any coastal city. $250K homes and zero state income tax.
| Category | Deadwood, SD | Denver, CO | Austin, TX | New York, NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home | $250K | $590K | $475K | $750K+ |
| Monthly Rent (1BR) | ~$750 | ~$1,800 | ~$1,500 | ~$3,200 |
| Monthly Mortgage | ~$1,400 | ~$3,200 | ~$2,600 | ~$4,100 |
| State Income Tax | 0% | 4.4% | 0% | 10.9% |
| Est. Monthly COL | $2,000-2,400 | $3,200-3,800 | $3,000-3,500 | $4,500+ |
Housing
Own a Home in the Wild West
At $250K median home price, Deadwood offers homeownership in one of America's most iconic small towns. Victorian-era homes, mountain cabins, and newer construction — all surrounded by the Black Hills. Note: STR conversion is a real constraint — many homes serve as vacation rentals, so policy coordination with the city is part of the plan.
Housing Demand Projections
Based on relocator + BHC satellite growth
Education & Careers
Frontier Schools, Tech Careers
Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1, SURF science partnerships next door in Lead, Seed Academy tech training, and BHC positions at $145K+ minimum.
Education
- Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1 (shared with Lead)
- SURF science education access — 5-minute drive to Lead
- Seed Academy — AI, Vibe Coding, Remote Work training (Hot Springs)
- 25% tuition discount for relocator families
- +7-11 students Y1 → +43-54 students Y5
- SD funding: $6,200/pupil — $267K-$335K new revenue by Y5
BHC Presence in Deadwood
3-5 satellite BHC jobs Y1, all positions $145K+ (equiv. $210K+ in Denver)
Entertainment Capital
80+ Casinos, Live Music Every Night
No other town in the BHC network has this. Deadwood is South Dakota's only legal gaming city — a year-round entertainment destination with more nightlife per capita than anywhere in the rural West.
Saloon #10
Where Wild Bill Hickok was shot — the most famous saloon in the West
Midnight Star
Kevin Costner's casino and restaurant — fine dining and gaming
Deadwood Mountain Grand
1,100-seat concert venue, casino, hotel — major entertainment hub
Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort
Full-service casino resort with hotel, dining, and gaming floor
Live Music Nightly
Multiple venues with live bands — blues, rock, country, and more
Craft Beer & Dining
Miner Brewing, Deadwood Grille, and 30+ restaurants and bars
THE CULT Convention
Cannabis Meets Gaming — Only in Deadwood
THE CULT convention leverages Deadwood's existing hotel, casino, and restaurant infrastructure to generate millions in off-season economic activity. 1,500 hotel rooms. No new infrastructure needed.
500-750
Y3 Launch
Attendees — 1,500-2,250 hotel nights, $750K-$1.1M local impact
1,500-2,000
Y5 Scale
Attendees — 4,500-6,000 hotel nights, $2.5M-$3.5M local impact
3,000-5,000
Y10 Mature
Attendees — 9,000-15,000 hotel nights, $5M-$8M local impact
1,500
Hotel Rooms
Existing Deadwood capacity — no new infrastructure needed
Q1/Q4
Off-Season Boost
Convention fills shoulder seasons when tourism drops
National
Cannabis Industry
Only cannabis convention in a gaming city — unique positioning
The Convention Effect
By Year 5, THE CULT convention brings 1,500-2,000 attendees to Deadwood for 3-5 days — filling 4,500-6,000 hotel nights, generating $450K-$600K in food and beverage spending alone, and creating $2.5M-$3.5M in total local economic impact. By Year 10, it scales to 3,000-5,000 attendees and $5M-$8M impact. The cannabis industry's only convention in a gaming city — a unique positioning that no competitor can replicate.
Lifestyle
Casinos by Night, Canyons by Day
Spearfish Canyon, Terry Peak skiing, Mickelson Trail, and the Black Hills National Forest — Deadwood sits at the northern gateway to some of the most dramatic landscape in the region.
Spearfish Canyon
1,000-ft limestone canyon, waterfalls, scenic highway
Terry Peak Ski Area
Downhill skiing & snowboarding, 1,100-ft vertical
Mickelson Trail
109-mile rail trail through the Black Hills
Black Hills Nat'l Forest
1.2 million acres of pine forest and trails
Roughlock Falls
Stunning cascade in Spearfish Canyon, easy hike
Mount Roosevelt
Friendship Tower hike — panoramic Black Hills views
Deer Mountain
Hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country trails
Fishing & Hunting
Whitewood Creek, trout streams, deer and turkey
Snowmobiling
Hundreds of miles of groomed trails in winter
Gold Panning
Historic gold rush recreation — try your luck in Whitewood Creek
Economic Impact
$24.3M Cumulative Impact Over 5 Years
61-75 new households bringing remote-worker salaries into an entertainment town already generating hundreds of millions in annual gaming revenue. Plus THE CULT convention adding $2.5M-$3.5M annually by Y5.
| Year | New Relocations | Cumulative (w/ BHC) | Local Impact (1.6x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | 8-10 | 11-15 | $1.32M |
| Y2 | 10-12 | 19-24 | $2.64M |
| Y3 | 12-15 | 31-39 | $4.16M |
| Y5 | 15-18 | 61-75 | $8.40M |
| Y10 | 18-22 | 160-192 | $20.3M |
$5.25M
Combined Local Payroll (Y5)
Relocator + BHC satellite jobs
$88K/yr
New Tax Revenue (Y5)
Property + sales tax
$24.3M
5-Year Cumulative Impact
1.6x economic multiplier
Local Businesses
The Businesses That Make Deadwood Legendary
From the saloon where Wild Bill was shot to Kevin Costner's casino, Deadwood's businesses are as storied as the town itself. Every new relocator is a new regular.
Saloon #10
Historic SaloonThe most famous bar in the Wild West. Where Wild Bill Hickok was shot holding aces and eights — the 'dead man's hand.' Gaming, drinks, and living history.
Midnight Star
Casino & RestaurantKevin Costner's casino and fine dining establishment. Three floors of gaming, Jakes Restaurant upstairs, and Hollywood meets the frontier.
Deadwood Mountain Grand
Entertainment Venue1,100-seat concert venue, full casino, hotel, and convention space. Major touring acts, comedy shows, and THE CULT convention infrastructure.
Miner Brewing Company
Craft BreweryAcquired by Cohort (May 2025). Hill City-born brewery with Deadwood taproom — craft beer culture in the heart of gold rush country.
Deadwood Grille
Fine DiningUpscale dining in the Lodge at Deadwood. Steaks, seafood, and craft cocktails — the kind of restaurant that makes a small town feel cosmopolitan.
Dakota Shivers (Lead, 5 min)
Craft BreweryLead's craft beer anchor — small-batch brews in a historic mining town taproom. A 5-minute drive from your Deadwood doorstep.
Location
The Northern Hills Entertainment Corridor
Deadwood sits in the northern Black Hills, adjacent to Lead and at the gateway to Spearfish Canyon. The Deadwood-Lead corridor is the entertainment and science anchor of the BHC network.
Network Connections
Deadwood connects to the full BHC ecosystem
Ready to Go All In on Deadwood?
Apply today to relocate to Deadwood. $10,000-$15,000 cash incentive, housing assistance, co-working access at Grow Campus (~50 min south in Custer), and a community where Wild West heritage meets tech entrepreneurship. Site visit weekends available monthly.