Cost of living in Box Elder research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Box Elder is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Dakota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Box Elder is 100, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Box Elder is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Box Elder ranks as the #16 cheapest in South Dakota out of 19.
Box Elder ranks as the #2,621 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Box Elder is $356,582.
The median income in Box Elder is $73,698.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Box Elder has an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Dakota, Box Elder has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than South Dakota's index of 88.
The standard of living in Box Elder ranks as #16 most affordable out of the 19 places we measured in South Dakota. By definition, that implies Box Elder ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Mount Rushmore State.
For more reading on life in Box Elder, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Box Elder. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Box Elder is 97.
The Groceries index in Box Elder is 99.
The Health index in Box Elder is 100.
The Housing index in Box Elder is 104.
The Transportation index in Box Elder is 105.
The Utilities index in Box Elder is 91.
| Living Expense | Box Elder | South Dakota | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Housing | 104 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 105 | 95 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 91 | 89 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Dakota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Box Elder is $356,582.
The Median Rent in Box Elder is $1,354.
The Median Income in Box Elder is $73,698.
The Home Value To Income in Box Elder is 4.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Box Elder is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Box Elder | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $356,582 | $315,406 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,354 | $912 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $73,698 | $72,421 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.8x | 4.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.15x | 0.21x |
| Item | Box Elder | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.22 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.69 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.55 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.63 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $42.85 | $45.56 |
| Item | Box Elder | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.37 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.32 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.71 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.42 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.6 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.34 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.46 | $3.7 |
| Item | Box Elder | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $135.93 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $154.12 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $109.45 | $113.29 |
| Item | Box Elder | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.65 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.31 | $59.92 |
| Item | Box Elder | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $158.39 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $194.38 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Box Elder. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Spearfish, SD has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Box Elder.
Rapid Valley, SD has a cost of living index of 95, 0.9x Box Elder.
Sturgis, SD has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Box Elder.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Box Elder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish, SD | 12,551 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Rapid Valley, SD | 7,153 | 95 | 0.9x |
| Sturgis, SD | 7,111 | 91 | 0.9x |