Rapid City and Box Elder 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
Rapid City
Box Elder
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs69 · Top 18%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs54 · Bottom 4%
Physical resilience
43 · Bottom 33%
vs24 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Schools
16 · Bottom 6%
vs30 · Bottom 23%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Rapid City | Box Elder | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 77,946 | 12,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,870 | $73,008 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,204 | $33,308 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,392/sq mi | 870/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $299,400 | $302,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,109 | $1,491 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 48.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.0% | 28.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 7.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 354 | 73 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -50.7% | -9.9% | 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 | 8 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.7 min | 21.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 28.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.17 | 15.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.9% | 42.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.2% | 49.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.8% | 35.7% | 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
Rapid City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Box Elder
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, winter weather.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Rapid City
58
Your Score
56
Area Score
Box Elder
60
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Rapid City, SD · Box Elder, SD · How this is calculated: methodology