Box Elder is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, home to about 12,902 people across 15 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 57706 and 57719, and parts of 57703 are in Box Elder too.
Homes sold for a median of $203 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Box Elder
Mostly Box Elder
Mostly Rapid City; part is in Box Elder
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Box Elder. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Box Elder’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Denver International Airport (DEN)305 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)5 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Denver, CO315 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL793 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Box Elder; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Box Elder had 11,746 residents in the 2020 census, up 313% since 2000.
It’s the 11th largest of 440 towns in South Dakota by population.
Meade County grew from 4,907 residents in 1900 to 29,852 in 2020.
Meade County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 13°F. About 17.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 49 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rapid City Rgnl Ap, SD weather station (5 miles away).
6,662 jobs at 805 businesses in Meade County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
72 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Box Elder’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 11 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 3 |
| Dentists | 12 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 13 |
| Mental health providers | 22 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 7 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1907.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Douglas School District 51-1. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Elementary -06Box Elder | Pre-K–3 | 982 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Vandenberg Elementary - 02Box Elder | 4–5 | 454 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Douglas Middle School - 01Box Elder | 6–8 | 633 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Douglas High School - 03Box Elder | 9–12 | 739 | Public | 1.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Rapid City, Rapid Valley, Green Valley and Caputa.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.