Box Elder
City in South Dakota, United States
Overview
Box Elder is a growing city in western South Dakota on the edge of the Black Hills, best known for its welcoming community and close ties to Ellsworth Air Force Base. The city offers affordable living, outdoor recreation, and easy access to nearby Rapid City and national parks.
Geographic Context
Jurisdiction
United States
State
South Dakota
Population
11,746
Time Zone
America/Denver
Coordinates
44.11°, -103.07°
Key Metrics
Safety Score · estimate
72
Female Safety
70
LGBTQ+ Safety
55
Traffic Safety
78
Food Safety
88
Monthly Cost · estimate
$2,040
Local Cost
$1,420
Local Income
$3,200
Cashless
80
English
100
Temperature
9.6°C
Summer Avg
22.7°C
Winter Avg
-2.3°C
Record High
44.2°C
Record Low
-24.6°C
Humidity
58%
Precipitation
450 mm
City Vibrancy
1
Coworking
0
Cafes
0
Nightlife
0
Parks
1
Transport
1
Walk Score
1
Footways
1.0
Airport
RCA
Distance
4 km
Explore
Data sources
Source-backed data
World Air Quality Index - Latest available city-level air quality station measurement. Record updated 2025-12-05.
OpenStreetMap - Nearby amenities counted from OpenStreetMap-derived city extracts. Record updated 2025-12-07.
OpenStreetMap transport extract - Walkability, footway density, and airport access metrics derived from mapped transport features. Record updated 2025-12-06.
Estimates and unverified origins
Oyster List climate data - Climate origins are unverified. Available methods include historical APIs and AI estimates; stored rows do not identify the original dataset, reference period, or model for each value. Treat these summaries as estimates until independently verified. Record updated 2026-03-22.
Oyster List city price estimates - Price origins are unverified. Available generation methods include AI estimates; stored records do not identify a survey, observation period, or model for each price. Record updated 2026-01-14.
Oyster List AI-assisted estimates - Safety, lifestyle, income, and practical scores include model-assisted estimates. Stored records do not identify supporting observations for each score. Model-reported confidence: 60/100; this is not a measured accuracy score. Model: derived+gpt-4.1. Record updated 2026-03-26.