The Town FilesBox Elder, South Dakota
City in Pennington County · population 11,746 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $302,100
- Household income
- $73,008
- Jan low / Jul high
- 13° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 49 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 19
- Median age
- 28.8
Box Elder is a city of 11,746 people in Pennington County, South Dakota. The median home is worth $302,100, above the typical South Dakota town ($182,100). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 92% of South Dakota towns, better for young professionals than 81% of South Dakota towns, more vibrant than 74% of South Dakota towns.
How Box Elder ranks
Percentile among South Dakota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of South Dakota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Box Elder is worth $302,100, above the typical South Dakota town ($182,100). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $73,008, which is more affordable than 11% of South Dakota towns. Median rent is $1,491 a month. 48.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Box Elder | Typical South Dakota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $302,100 | $182,100 |
| Median rent | $1,491 | $785 |
| Median household income | $73,008 | $66,086 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.1× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 48.2% | 71.0% |
| Median year built | 2004 | 1973 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.4% | — |
Who lives in Box Elder
| People | Box Elder | Typical South Dakota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.8 | 39.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.5% | 19.4% |
| Under 18 | 26.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.0% | 23.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 10.1% |
| Veterans | 21.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.6% | — |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 5.7% |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 17.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.3% | 86.7% |
Weather in Box Elder
July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 12.7°F. About 17.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.5 inches of snow (typical South Dakota town: 39.8 in). Expect about 32 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 174 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Box Elder since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical South Dakota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 11, 1991 about 9.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 6, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 370 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on July 6, 1977.
Severe weather in Pennington County since 1996
Pennington County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4903: Straight-Line Winds |
| October 4, 2021 | Fire | FM-5418: Auburn Fire |
| March 29, 2021 | Fire | FM-5384: Schroeder Fire |
| April 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4527: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3475: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Pennington County
Pennington County had 62,114 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,286 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in 2023; in Box Elder itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.
Public schools in Box Elder
5 public schools with 2,753 students, about 15.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Elementary -06 | K-3 | 936 | 15.9 |
| Douglas High School - 03 | 9-12 | 752 | 17.1 |
| Douglas Middle School - 01 | 6-8 | 623 | 15.2 |
| Vandenberg Elementary - 02 | 4-5 | 442 | 15.8 |
| Douglas Preschool - 08 | PK-PK | — | — |
Towns near Box Elder
- Ashland Heights, SD2.6 mi · 678 people · home $219,600
- Rapid Valley, SD3.6 mi · 8,098 people · home $255,500
- Green Valley, SD5.2 mi · 1,051 people · home $280,300
- Rapid City, SD7.3 mi · 74,703 people · home $299,400
- New Underwood, SD12.1 mi · 590 people · home $193,800
- Blackhawk, SD12.9 mi · 3,026 people · home $273,300
- Colonial Pine Hills, SD13.4 mi · 1,903 people · home $406,500
- Summerset, SD14.1 mi · 2,972 people · home $368,300
Box Elder questions
Is Box Elder, South Dakota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Box Elder scores better for retirees than 13% of South Dakota towns and quieter than 12%. 7.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 28.8).
How much does a house cost in Box Elder?
The median owner-occupied home in Box Elder is valued at $302,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,008, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,491 a month.
What is the weather like in Box Elder?
July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 12.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.4 inches of precipitation a year and 48.5 inches of snow.
Does Box Elder get tornadoes?
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Box Elder since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 11, 1991. The typical South Dakota town has had 13.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)