Box Elder, South Dakota, 2017
Box Elder’s story
119 years in pictures
Census counts: 607 in 1970, 11,746 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
- 1907Box Elder is settled
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
13,936
2025 Census estimate · +17.6% since 2020
Typical home
$367K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
28.8
years
Jobs based here
2,013
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
Better than 19% of U.S. towns
Is Box Elder a good place to live?
Box Elder grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $367K, 4.9 years of the Rapid City metro’s $75K median household income. It also does better than most on health: residents are healthier than 75% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its crime rate is higher than 70% of U.S. towns, with 45 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 7.5% of residents are 65 or older in Box Elder, below both the South Dakota town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Only 3 of South Dakota’s 85 towns score lower on history.
A growing town
Box Elder has grown 77% since 2010
7,800 counted in 2010 and 11,746 in 2020; an estimated 13,936 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 17.6% since 2020, after 50.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Box Elder grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Box Elder is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →HealthMonument Health Rapid City Hospital 7.5 miles awayB+Open →SafetyCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 1.3% of households have no car; 3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Jobs & incomeB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landCOpen →History1 notable person born hereD−Open →Civic life3.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market79 days on market–Open →Who lives here28% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Box Elder: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Box Elder, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBox Elder water system7 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpKieffer SanitationTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePennington County AuditorPennington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes57719, 5770657719 85% · 57706 15%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Box Elder.
Box Elder has better schools than Ashland Heights or any other neighbor, is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in South Dakota and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of South Dakota.
Who lives here
More young adults than South Dakota overall
Only 48.2% of households own their home, against 68.6% across South Dakota.
Adults 18 to 34 are 36% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 8% of residents (18% statewide). Box Elder’s median age is 28.8 years. Box Elder has grown 18% since 2020, to 13,936 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
28.8median age · SD 38
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.8 years | 39.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 27% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 34% | 29% |
Box ElderSouth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school30%
Some college21%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.3 points. Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Box Elder | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.1% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 22% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.7% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.8% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.9% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8% | 10% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
SchoolsB−
Box Elder’s public schools outperform 53% of South Dakota districts
Its B− is the best School Grade on its borders; Ashland Heights (C) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Douglas School District 51-1. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Douglas High School - 03, with 739 students.
53%of SD districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Elementary -06Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 982 | C+ |
| Douglas High School - 03Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 739 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
More than half of Box Elder’s working residents commute to Rapid City
Jobs based here grew from 1,026 in 2013 to 2,013.
Most working residents leave Box Elder for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Box Elder grew to 2,013 in 2023, 987 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Box Elder is 20 minutes.
7%work in town
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 6.5% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Box Elder7%
Rapid City62%
Sioux Falls4%
Wall2%
Faith1%
8 mi
median commute distance
2,013
jobs based in Box Elder
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 38% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
For health, Box Elder earns a B+
Within South Dakota it is less healthy than 53% of the 35 graded towns: South Dakota sets a high bar. Its widest gap with South Dakota is cancer: 5.5% of its 8,232 adults have had cancer, against 9.2% statewide.
24% of adults binge drink in Box Elder. Box Elder beats the South Dakota average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 71% of adults had a checkup this year in Box Elder.
75%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 76% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 32% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 10% | 12% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
12 better8 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Box Elder | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.3% | 6.8% |
| More binge drinkers | 23.6% | 18.8% |
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
7.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
47th
percentile among SD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyC
For safety, Box Elder earns a C
Reported crimes fell from 271 to 244 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Box Elder reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 70% report less.
30%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.8 per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Box Elder3.1
South Dakota3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Box Elder13.8
South Dakota14.3
U.S.15.5
30th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
36th
percentile among SD towns
45
violent crimes reported in 2025
199
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Box Elder
January nights average 13.7°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 98% of South Dakota places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.3°.
Box Elder has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. About 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 14°F | 9°F | 22°F |
| July high | 86°F | 85°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–38°
Spring33–57°
Summer57–83°
Fall36–62°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
#21for trails in SD
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
0.7%
conserved · 63 of 9,466 acres
5.7 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Boykin Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
Compared with most of South Dakota and the rest of the country, the median rent in Box Elder is higher
Of the 33 South Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher median rent than Box Elder. 48% of Box Elder households own their home. The typical Box Elder home is worth about $367,000, up 2.4% in a year, 15% above the South Dakota typical home.
$367KZillow home value
| Box Elder | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,491 a month | $958 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Box Elder$367K
South Dakota$318K
Market temperature
79
days on market
99.6%
sale-to-list price
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
13
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Box Elder faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 16 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Box Elder.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesWildfire
16
paid flood claims since 1986
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 21 attractions →Mount Rushmore National Memorial and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Box Elder. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw33 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
Big draw33 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
28 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
30 mi State parkCuster State Park
36 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Box Elder
20pages on Box Elder
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 53% of SD districts · 4 schoolsSafetyC3.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than SD on 12 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingD$367K typical home · up 2.4% in a yearWork & commuteB−$73K median household income · 2,013 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Box Elder
Western Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rapid City5.4 mi$8,294 in-state tuitionSouth Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Rapid City6.6 mi$10,500 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Box Elder residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Box Elder for work
Where Box Elder’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,013jobs based in Box Elder
7%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Box Elder
City in South Dakota, United States
Box Elder (Lakota: čhaŋšúška; "box elder maple") is a city in Pennington and Meade Counties, South Dakota, United States. The population was 11,746 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 13,887 in 2024, making it the ninth-most populous city in South Dakota. Ellsworth Air Force Base lies on the northwest side of the city, and it is a suburb of Rapid City. Box Elder was named from nearby Boxelder Creek.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1907
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,031 ft
- ZIP code
- 57719
- Area code
- 605
Box Elder’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Box Elder.
Ashland HeightsRapid CityRapid ValleyBox Elder
How the neighbors grade
| Town | SD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | #34 | C− | D | C | B− | B+ |
| Ashland Heights | — | — | B | — | C | C+ |
| Rapid City | #35 | D | C | D− | C | B |
| Rapid Valley | #20 | B− | B− | — | C | B+ |
Ashland Heights has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Ashland Heights and Rapid Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Box Elder with a neighbor →
Questions about Box Elder
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Box Elder, SD a good place to live?
Box Elder grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Box Elder, SD expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.