Box Elder and Rapid City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Box Elder
Rapid City
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs69 · Top 24%
Growth
69 · Top 18%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs54 · Bottom 4%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 18%
vs43 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 37%
vs84 · Top 44%
Schools
30 · Bottom 23%
vs16 · Bottom 6%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
72 · Top 24%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Box Elder | Rapid City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,902 | 77,946 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,008 | $70,870 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,308 | $42,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 870/sq mi | 1,392/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $302,100 | $299,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,491 | $1,109 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.2% | 62.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 1.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.0% | 37.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.5% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 73 | 354 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.9% | -50.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.4" | 17.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.8 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.78 | 16.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.8% | 32.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.1% | 40.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 35.7% | 43.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Box Elder
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, winter weather.
Rapid City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Box Elder
60
Your Score
56
Area Score
Rapid City
58
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Box Elder, SD · Rapid City, SD · How this is calculated: methodology