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City · 12,902 residents · Pennington County, South Dakota

Box Elder , South Dakota

In Box Elder, a typical home is worth $302,100 and typical rent is $1,491 a month. Compared with all of Pennington County, typical rent is 33% higher and the share of households that own their home is 21 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $302,100

    About the same as the county

    17% above South Dakota

    • Box Elder
    • Pennington
    • South Dakota

  • Typical rent

    $1,491a month

    33% above the county

    58% above South Dakota

    • Box Elder
    • Pennington
    • South Dakota

  • Typical household income

    $73,008a year

    2% below the county

    3% below South Dakota

    • Box Elder
    • Pennington
    • South Dakota

  • Households that own their home

    48%

    21 points below the county

    20 points below South Dakota

    • Box Elder
    • Pennington
    • South Dakota

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$367,063
2.4% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,450 a month
3.2% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Box Elder is in Pennington County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Pennington County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Box Elder apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Box Elder has the highest typical rent of the 19 cities in South Dakota with more than 5,000 people: $1,491.

  2. Nearby, in Sturgis, the typical rent is $780: 48% less than in Box Elder ($1,491).

  3. 48% of households in Box Elder own their home, against 69% in Pennington County.

  4. Nearby, in Belle Fourche, the typical home value is $222,500: 26% less than in Box Elder ($302,100).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Box Elder

What homes there are in Box Elder, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Box Elder there is a bit of everything: no kind of home reaches half. The most common are detached houses (42%); in Pennington County, 62%.

In Box Elder there are many mobile homes: 16% of homes; in Pennington County, 9%.

Year built

Homes in Box Elder are newer: the typical year built is 2004; in Pennington County, 1982.

Much as in Pennington County, 61% of homes in Box Elder have 3 bedrooms or more.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,942 a month

Pennington County: $1,803 a month

Without a mortgage

$641 a month

Pennington County: $689 a month

Owners with a mortgage

73%

Pennington County: 59%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Box Elder is $1,942 a month, more than in Pennington County ($1,803); without one, $641.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Box Elder rose 88% since 2015–2019, more than in Pennington County (61%).

The typical rent in Box Elder rose 51% over the same time; in Pennington County, it rose 33%.

Housing prices ran ahead of income in Box Elder: typical income rose 37%, against +88% for home values and +51% for rent.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureBox ElderPennington CountySouth DakotaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate6.1%6.0%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.1%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.4%2.3%3.4%
People per household 2.682.372.392.53
Drive alone 76%77%77%69%
Carpool 13%9%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home 7%10%10%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 2.68 on average, against 2.37 in Pennington County.

More people carpool to work in Box Elder than in Pennington County: 13% against 9%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Box Elder?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Box Elder, worth $302,100, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 43% of the typical household income in Box Elder, which is $73,008 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $111,591 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Pennington County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Box Elder. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $10,574 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,604

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$296,628
Total interest
$426,778
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $5,102 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,704 a month

  • Tight

    $1,704 to $2,190 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,190 a month

    Your payment · 43%

Compared with the typical household income in Box Elder ($73,008 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,604
Principal & interest$2,009
Property tax$335
Home insurance$126
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$134

You need at least $10,574 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Box Elder and Pennington County

Box Elder is in Pennington County, South Dakota. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Box Elder's own numbers

Typical home value
$302,100
Typical monthly rent
$1,491
Typical yearly household income
$73,008
Households that own their home
48%
Effective property tax rate
1.33%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Pennington County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,430
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+59%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
3.1%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Pennington County.

Everything about Pennington County

Buying

Buying a home in Box Elder

A typical home in Box Elder is worth $302,100: about the same as the county and 17% above South Dakota. With the typical household income in Box Elder ($73,008 a year), a typical home costs 4.1 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Box Elder 4.1 years
  • Pennington 4.1 years
  • South Dakota 3.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Pennington County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Pennington County rose 95% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Pennington County.

Period County South Dakota U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.5% +3.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +59% +50% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +95% +85% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Box Elder next to Pennington County, South Dakota and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Box Elder $302,100
  • Pennington $302,200
  • South Dakota $257,400
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Box Elder $1,491
  • Pennington $1,120
  • South Dakota $946
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Box Elder $73,008
  • Pennington $74,517
  • South Dakota $75,081
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Box Elder next to Pennington County and South Dakota
Measure Box Elder Pennington County South Dakota U.S.
Typical home value $302,100 $302,200 $257,400 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,491 $1,120 $946 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $73,008 $74,517 $75,081 $80,734
Households that own their home 48% 69% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,019 $3,265 $2,724 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.33% 1.08% 1.06% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 43% 49% 40% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Pennington County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Box Elder

For a typical $302,100 home in Box Elder, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Box Elder's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,604a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $10,574
    Cash to close
    $19,637
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $134

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,548a month

    Down payment
    $15,105
    Cash to close
    $24,168
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $143

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,098a month

    Down payment
    $60,420
    Cash to close
    $69,483
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,377a month

    Down payment
    $45,315
    Cash to close
    $54,378
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Box Elder and for Pennington County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Box Elder

1.33%of the home’s value each year

$4,019 a year for the typical owner in Box Elder.

  • Box Elder 1.33%
  • Pennington 1.08%
  • South Dakota 1.06%

What South Dakota publishes Owner-occupied classification (South Dakota Department of Revenue (Owner-Occupied Classification tax fact, July 2026))

Exemptions and deadlines in South Dakota

Flood risk in Pennington County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Pennington County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
3.1%
1,251
Of those, with NFIP insurance
16%
County South Dakota U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 3.1% 2.3% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 16% 14% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Box Elder

Typical rent in Box Elder is $1,491 a month: 33% above the county. In Box Elder, 43% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Pennington County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,430 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $27.50 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Pennington County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $996 $19.15 $39,840
1 bedroom $1,093 $21.02 $43,720
2 bedrooms $1,430 $27.50 $57,200
3 bedrooms $1,833 $35.25 $73,320
4 bedrooms $2,390 $45.96 $95,600

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Box Elder

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Box Elder is in ZIP code 57719.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,550: $120 more than the fair market rent for Pennington County ($1,430).

  • 57719 $1,550$2,030

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Box Elder when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Box Elder

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Box Elder. These are the largest.

  • Foothills East Apts 302 Parker Dr, Box Elder 57719 72 homes, 71 low-income · 2 bd: 72 · In service since 2007
  • Northern Lights Apartments 815 Northern Lights Boulevard, Box Elder 57719 30 low-income homes · 1 bd: 6 · 2 bd: 16 · 3 bd: 8 · In service since 2017 · For families

See all 42 buildings in Pennington County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Box Elder

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Pennington County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

A young woman and a young man point to a line in their notes beside a laptop in a library.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Box Elder

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Box Elder or Pennington County. The ones below are statewide in South Dakota: they work in Box Elder the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in South Dakota

  • Fixed Rate Plus

    Statewide in South Dakota

    South Dakota state authority mortgage with 3% or 5% of the loan for the down payment and closing costs, as a 0% second mortgage with no payments, repaid when you sell or pay off the home. Offered by South Dakota Housing Development Authority.

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • South Dakota Housing Tax Credit (MCC)

    Statewide in South Dakota

    South Dakota state authority certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal taxes, of up to $2,000 a year while you live in the home and keep the original mortgage; for first-time buyers, requested through a participating lender before closing. Offered by South Dakota Housing Development Authority.

    Tax credit

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Box Elder

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Box Elder, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Black Hills Children's Ranch, Inc. - Pioneer Credit Counseling

    3620 Homestead Street, Suite 1, Rapid City · 4 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (605) 348-1608

  • Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Black Hills

    2310 N Maple Ave, Rapid City · 6 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (605) 348-4550

  • Neighborworks Dakota Home Resources

    795 Main St, Deadwood · 37 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 4 more
    (605) 578-1401

Every agency in Pennington County All counseling agencies in South Dakota

Help in Spanish near Box Elder

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Box Elder

HUD’s record names them for Box Elder or Pennington County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Pennington County Housing and Redevelopment Commission Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (605) 394-5350

All housing agencies in South Dakota Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Pennington County

These cities are also in Pennington County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Pennington County Housing in South Dakota

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Box Elder, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Pennington County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Box Elder.

All guides
A man and two girls read a book together on the sofa.

Questions

Housing questions about Box Elder

Short answers with the numbers for Box Elder and all of Pennington County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Box Elder?

The typical home value in Box Elder is $302,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Pennington County it is $302,200.

How much does it cost to rent in Box Elder?

Typical rent in Box Elder is $1,491 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Pennington County is $1,430.

What is the FHA loan limit in Box Elder?

Box Elder uses the FHA limit for all of Pennington County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Box Elder?

The typical homeowner in Box Elder pays $4,019 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.33% of the home’s value; in Pennington County, the rate is 1.08%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Box Elder?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Pennington County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).