Population 11,482 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Box Elder: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Box Elder
Household size in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.82 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Box Elder holds 2.82 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has climbed from 2.63 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.1 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.3 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.1 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Box Elder is young: half of its residents are under 33.1, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 29.0 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Box Elder than nationally: 12.6%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.3 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Box Elder
Renters in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.5% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.7% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.9% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Box Elder than nationally: 37.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 43.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the southwest.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Box Elder is close to the national rate: 9.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 4.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +9 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Box Elder is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1989 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $755 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $998 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $917 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,400 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$645 | +$369 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Box Elder costs $1,400 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in South Dakota overall ($1,000). Rent has climbed $645 a month since 2006–10, up 85%, faster than rents rose nationally. No other South Dakota city with 5,000+ people has higher rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Box Elder
Bachelor's degrees in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.7% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Box Elder have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.2 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.7% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.6% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Box Elder is a bit above the national rate: 90.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Even so, the rate is lower than in South Dakota overall (93.1%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Box Elder
| Period | Box Elder | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Box Elder is close to the national rate: 5.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in South Dakota overall (3.1%). Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Box Elder compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | 2.82 | 33.1 | 12.6% | 37.9% | 9.4% | 1994 | $1,400 | 24.7% | 90.8% | 5.9% |
| Ellsworth Afb | 2.87 | 23.8 | 9.3% | 85.7% | 12.4% | 2005 | $1,643 | 33.3% | 96.1% | 3.2% |
| Ashland Heights | 3.16 | 53.8 | 8.6% | 3.8% | 5.9% | 1961 | $1,248 | 13.3% | 97.3% | 22.7% |
| Rapid Valley | 2.27 | 39.5 | 6.0% | 15.4% | 6.7% | 1995 | $1,368 | 25.6% | 93.5% | 3.9% |
| Sulphur | 2.62 | 43.3 | 14.7% | 35.9% | 2.8% | 2005 | $1,095 | 21.4% | 94.1% | 3.6% |
| Rapid City | 2.36 | 40.8 | 10.7% | 33.1% | 10.1% | 1983 | $1,199 | 37.0% | 94.8% | 2.9% |
| Caputa | 3.15 | 38.7 | 5.6% | 17.9% | 6.4% | 2000 | $1,287 | 25.0% | 88.8% | 3.0% |
| Farmingdale | 3.25 | 38.3 | 6.1% | 18.0% | 5.5% | 2004 | $1,384 | 23.4% | 87.1% | 3.6% |
| Viewfield | 2.76 | 38.4 | 5.8% | 23.0% | 10.7% | 1995 | $1,289 | 33.4% | 94.2% | 5.4% |
| New Underwood | 2.93 | 44.7 | 4.7% | 23.0% | 15.9% | 1982 | $903 | 21.3% | 93.8% | 4.0% |
| Black Hawk | 2.32 | 46.9 | 4.9% | 17.8% | 2.6% | 1990 | $1,178 | 24.2% | 97.6% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hebron, TX · Berlin, NJ · Andover, NJ · Blair, NE · Corryton, TN · Bishop, CA · Amityville, NY · Marble Falls, TX · Lovejoy, GA · Lunenburg, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Box Elder. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.