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Box Elder, SD

Full City Profile · South Dakota · Lawrence County County

3.3 /5.0
B Good
12,457 Population 840/sq mi density
$73,698 Median Income $31,248 per capita
$271,800 Home Value $359,031 Zillow
$1,354 Median Rent 27.8% income on rent
47°F Avg Temperature 311 sunny days/yr
417 Violent Crime/100K 2,144 property/100K
B
Overall
3.3 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
A
Economy
4.3 / 5.0
$73,698 median income, 2.4% unemployment
A+
Affordability
4.6 / 5.0
$271,800 home value, $1,354/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
417 violent crimes/100K (10% above avg)
B
Education
3.4 / 5.0
29.8% bachelor's degree or higher

Box Elder, SD

At a Glance

Median Income
$73,698
2% below
$31,248 per capita
Home Value
$271,800
4% below
Zillow: $359,031
Median Rent
$1,354/mo
16% above
27.8% of income on rent
Violent Crime
417/100K
10% above
2,144/100K property
Bachelor's Degree+
29.8%
12% below
94.2% high school+
Unemployment
2.4%
33% below
7.0% poverty rate
Obesity Rate
33.6%
5% above
16.1% smoking rate
Avg Temperature
47°F
311 sunny days/yr

How Box Elder Compares to the U.S. Average

Each bar shows Box Elder's value as a percentage of the national average (100% = U.S. avg)

Income
98%
Home Value
96%
Rent
116%
Poverty
56%
Bachelor's
88%
Unemployment
67%
Crime
110%
Thin vertical line = U.S. national average (100%)

Is Box Elder a Good Place to Live?

B
3.3 / 5.0 — Good
Based on economy, affordability, safety, and education metrics compared to national averages.

Economy & Jobs

Box Elder residents earn a median household income of $73,698 , which is 2% below the national average of $75,149. Per capita income is $31,248. The unemployment rate stands at 2.4% (33% below the U.S. rate of 3.6%). 7.0% of residents live below the poverty line. The area is home to 1,630 business establishments, including 155 restaurants.

Housing & Cost of Living

The median home value in Box Elder is $271,800 , 4% below the national median of $281,900. Zillow estimates the typical home at $359,031. Median rent is $1,354/month, with 27.8% of renters spending more than 30% of income on housing. The cost of living index is 88.6 (100 = national average). The median home was built in 2001.

Safety & Crime

Box Elder reports 417 violent crimes per 100,000 residents , which is 10% above the national average of 380/100K. Property crime is 2,144/100K. The murder rate is 0.0/100K.

Education

29.8% of adults in Box Elder hold a bachelor's degree or higher (12% below the national average). 94.2% have completed high school. Local schools score 5.8/10 in standardized testing.

Climate & Weather

Box Elder has an average annual temperature of 47°F (8°C). Winters average 24°F in January while summers reach 72°F in July. The area gets 311 sunny days per year. Annual precipitation totals 17.4 inches. Air quality is rated Good with a median AQI of 35.

Data Overview

People

Population12,457
Median Age28.6 yrs
Density840/mi²
Male / Female51% / 49%
Foreign Born13.6%
Veterans22.2%

Economy

A
Median Income$73,698
Per Capita$31,248
Unemployment2.4%
Poverty7.0%
County GDP$1,848M
Avg Weekly Wage$965

Housing

A+
Home Value$271,800
Rent$1,354
Ownership48.7%
Zillow$359,031
Housing Units4,606
Rent Burden27.8%

Crime

F
Violent417/100K
Property2,144/100K
Murder0.0/100K
Assault357/100K
Burglary536/100K

Health

Obesity33.6%
Diabetes10.3%
Smoking16.1%
Heart Disease5.7%
Premature Death6,603/100K

Climate

Avg Temp47°F
Sunny Days311/yr
Rain17.4 in/yr
AQI35 (Good)
Elevation3,042 ft

Education

B
Bachelor's+29.8%
High School+94.2%
Graduate+6.7%
School Score5.8/10

Community

2024 VoteR 64% / D 33%
Commute20 min
Broadband94.5%
Internet Speed159 Mbps
EV Stations1
Libraries4

Did You Know?

Box Elder was founded in 1907.
The median home in Box Elder was built in 2001.
The nearest airport is Ellsworth Afb (3 miles).
The Gini coefficient (income inequality) is 0.472 (U.S. avg: 0.490).
Natural hazard risk is rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA.
12.4% of the population has a disability.
13.6% of residents are foreign-born.
Average internet download speed is 159 Mbps.
There are 155 restaurants in the area.
The county recorded 4 fatal vehicle crashes.