Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Within South Dakota, Box Elder is healthier than 47% of graded towns
Box Elder differs from South Dakota on 18 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Box Elder. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Box Elder
South Dakota sets a high bar
Box Elder is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns, but only 47% of the 35 South Dakota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Box Elder doesn’t win on
23.6% of adults binge drink, vs 18.8% across South Dakota, even though more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Mental distress runs high in Box Elder
1 in 6 adults are in frequent mental distress (18.1%), vs 15.3% across South Dakota. Depression is above the state too: 23.7%, vs 21.2% across South Dakota. Mind & connection ↓
Box Elder is short on primary care and mental health care
Box Elder’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Box Elder
Box Elder runs below South Dakota on eight chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.5% vs 9.2%), heart disease (4.3% vs 6.8%) and stroke (2.3% vs 3.5%). A young population is part of it: only 8% of residents are 65 or older (South Dakota 18%). Conditions ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the South Dakota figure falls outside Box Elder’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Box Elder’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Box Elder is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns, #19 of 35 in South Dakota. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 96% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 32%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Box Elder’s median household income is $73,008; among the 10,744 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 89%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Dakota
Share of adults, with the South Dakota figure marked.
5.7 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Box Elder adults are doing
On 2 of 2 measures, Box Elder runs above South Dakota.
A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Out of every 100 Box Elder adults…
Box Elder runs below SD on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 8% of Box Elder residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across South Dakota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Box Elder
No hospital or community health center in Box Elder itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Box Elder; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Box Elder adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Dakota.
Box Elder and the towns around it
Box Elder has the best Health Grade of the 4 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | B+ | 32.2% | 8.2% | 15.2% | CDC place |
| Rapid City | B | 34% | 11.8% | 15.9% | CDC place |
| Ashland Heights | C+ | 37.4% | 15.1% | 18.8% | CDC place |
| Rapid Valley | B+ | 33.9% | 10.4% | 15.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Box Elder adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Box Elder
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Box Elder is better than South Dakota on 12 and worse on 6; on the rest, the South Dakota figure falls inside Box Elder’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Box Elder | SD | U.S. | vs SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.5%13.8–17.2 | 17.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11%9.9–12.1 | 12.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.1%16.5–19.8 | 15.3% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.2%28.7–35.8 | 35.9% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.2%7.2–9.1 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 25.2%23.1–27.3 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 27%24.8–29.3 | 34% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 18.3%16.7–19.9 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.7–11.8 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.5%5.1–5.9 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.3%3.8–4.7 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.1%4.5–5.6 | 6.7% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.3%2.1–2.5 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.6%12.2–17.4 | 12.7% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.2%13.4–17.1 | 15.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.3%18.8–23.9 | 24.1% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 23.6%21–26.1 | 18.8% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.3%28.9–36.2 | 29.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10%8.7–11.3 | 8.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 70.7%67.7–73.5 | 76.5% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67%64.4–69.7 | 69.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 79.7%77.6–81.5 | 84.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 66.2%63.3–68.8 | 75.9% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.3%60.9–67.8 | 65.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.2%69.8–80.4 | 76.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.7%21.3–26.2 | 21.2% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.8%26–31.5 | 30.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.4%8.3–10.5 | 12.9% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.5%14–17 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.6%5–6.2 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.7–4.4 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.4%6.7–8.2 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the South Dakota figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Box Elder
Is Box Elder a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Box Elder is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns: B+ for health, #19 of 35 in South Dakota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 89%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Box Elder?
CDC estimates 32.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.7% and 35.8%, against 35.9% across South Dakota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Box Elder?
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital in Rapid City, 7.5 miles in a straight line from Box Elder’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Box Elder have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.7–11.3%), against 8.8% across South Dakota.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Box Elder more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Box Elder.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South Dakota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.