Box Elder vs Rapid City
A side-by-side comparison of Box Elder and Rapid City: population, income, housing, and more.
Box Elder and Rapid City are places in South Dakota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Rapid City has the higher population (76,836 vs 12,457 in Box Elder). Box Elder has the higher median household income ($73,698 vs $65,712 in Rapid City). Box Elder has the higher median home value ($271,800 vs $270,000 in Rapid City).
Population, income & housing
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,457 | 76,836 |
| Median age | 28.6 yrs | 39.0 yrs |
| Median household income | $73,698 | $65,712 |
| Median home value | $271,800 | $270,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,354 | $1,053 |
| Housing units | 4,781 | 34,751 |
| Homeownership rate | 48.7% | 61.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.8% | 36.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,683 → 12,457 (+28.6%) | 75,258 → 76,836 (+2.1%) |
| Median household income | $53,382 → $73,698 (+38.1%) | $52,351 → $65,712 (+25.5%) |
| Median home value | $160,700 → $271,800 (+69.1%) | $184,700 → $270,000 (+46.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $991 → $1,354 (+36.6%) | $837 → $1,053 (+25.8%) |
Box Elder
9,68312,457
$53,382$73,698
$160,700$271,800
$991$1,354
Rapid City
75,25876,836
$52,351$65,712
$184,700$270,000
$837$1,053
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 10.9% | 6.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.0% | 15.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.6% | 9.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 22.7% | 13.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.0% | 12.6% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 9.9% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.5% | 12.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.1% | 12.6% |
| 75 and over | 1.8% | 7.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 72.7% | 76.8% |
| Black or African American | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 6.1% | 7.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.9% | 5.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| High school graduate | 28.4% | 25.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 36.0% | 32.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 21.9% | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 7.9% | 13.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 76.8% | 76.4% |
| Carpooled | 13.2% | 9.1% |
| Public transit | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 1.2% | 1.8% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Worked from home | 6.2% | 10.0% |
| Other means | 2.0% | 1.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 42.1% | 57.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 21.0% | 6.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 6.2% | 7.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 9.6% | 12.4% |
| 20 or more units | 1.6% | 10.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 19.4% | 5.2% |
Poverty & households
| Box Elder | Rapid City | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 13.3% |
| Average household size | 2.82 | 2.29 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 20 | 17 |
| Median year structure built | 2003 | 1978 |
Full profiles
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