Box Elder, SD

This city of 14,485 residents needs 1,286 more housing units over the next five years. Box Elder is part of the Rapid City Area MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
14,485 (2026)
Households
4,945
Median household income
$85,081 (2026)
Typical home value
$371,227
Owner-occupied
44%
Five-year housing need
1,286 units

Comparison to other South Dakota municipalities

Box Elder: $85,081 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$45K >$135K
Box Elder: 0.44 jobs to household ratio
<0.13 >2.24
Box Elder: Permits since 2021 represent 19.3% of housing
<0.2% >25.2%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Box Elder, SD needs 1,286 new units over the next 5 years.

1,169
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
23.6%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 4,945 in 2026 to 6,114 in 2031.
117
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
44
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.7 per 1,000 units.
38
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 6.0%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
11
Overcrowding adjustment
Overcrowding rate is 3.6%. This is above National avg. of 3.4%.
24
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 1.51%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
1,286
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
257
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
25.0%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
5.0%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

How does this place compare to similar communities?