Box Elder, SD vs Pierre, SD

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBox Elder, SDPierre, SD
Population12,90213,948
Median Household Income$73,008$77,672
Median Rent$1,491/mo$983/mo
Median Home Value$302,100$230,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)89—
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income40.5%33.4%
Poverty Rate7.5%10.1%
Unemployment Rate2% (county)1.7% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k312561
Property Crime Rate /100k1,3791,764
Median AQI3218
Good AQI Days /yr282333
Summer Highs83°F85°F
Winter Lows14°F12°F
Snowfall49 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute20.1 min13.3 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—2.0 / 5
Students per Teacher1615.8
College Degree Rate28%39%
Foreign-Born %1.6%1.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+17.6%-1.7%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.