Box Elder: Housing & Real Estate
Box Elder's median home value is $302,100 (estimated market value runs 8% higher at $325,360), with median rent $1,491 (1.3× higher than Pennington County median $1,120; 1.6× higher than South Dakota median $946). Homeownership rate: 48.2%. That's about the same as the Pennington County median ($302,200); 1.2× higher than the South Dakota median ($257,400). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 9.8%. New construction makes up 34.6% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 4.1× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs South Dakota 4.0×).
- 16.9 years to break even renting at the median (vs South Dakota 24y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.4× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent runs 17% above HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $302,100 — 1.1× the South Dakota median ($280,300). Median rent $1,491/month. homeownership rate 48.2% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Price To Income Ratio | 4.1× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Rent To Income Pct | 24.5% |
| Affordability · Interpretation | moderate |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $878 (vs South Dakota $865) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $970 (at South Dakota median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,273 (vs South Dakota $1,156) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,770 (vs South Dakota $1,586) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $2,136 (vs South Dakota $1,939) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Meade County, SD HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $325,360 |
| Median Home Value | $302,100 (vs South Dakota $280,300) |
| Median Rent | $1,491 (vs South Dakota $983) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 9.8% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 34.6% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 11.1% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (15)
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at South Dakota median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at South Dakota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at South Dakota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 72.5% (vs South Dakota 78.4%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 3,986 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 12.86¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 433548 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $665 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at South Dakota median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at South Dakota median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 1 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 1 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 2 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 48.2% (vs South Dakota 62.2%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 2004 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12