Signals
College
Box Elder
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs68 · Top 26%
Climate
41 · Bottom 1%
vs54 · Bottom 4%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs24 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | College | Box Elder | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,924 | 12,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,895 | $73,008 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,311 | $33,308 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 635/sq mi | 870/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $297,500 | $302,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,454 | $1,491 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.0% | 48.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.9% | 28.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.5% | 7.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 73°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | -17°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.7" | 17.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.4 min | 21.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.7 | 28.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 4 | 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
College
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Box Elder
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, winter weather.
Full profiles: College, AK · Box Elder, SD · How this is calculated: methodology