Box Elder, South Dakota, pulls its name from a box elder maple tree, which is a tree native to this area.
Box Elder is an eastern suburb of Rapid City, bisected by Interstate 90 for easy access to this area
Box Elder, South Dakota, pulls its name from a box elder maple tree, which is a tree native to this area.
Box Elder is an eastern suburb of Rapid City, bisected by Interstate 90 for easy access to this area. It's also home to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, offering unique career opportunities for anyone who wants to live and work in this location. This town of 7,800 people according to the U.S. Census mostly work in Rapid City and enjoy the small town life when they head back to this residential suburb.
Box Elder is the quintessential small Midwestern town, so you aren't going to find apartments that are super fancy and in massive high rise apartment buildings for rent. Most of the properties around town are owned by private landlords, giving you access to more variety than picking between a couple of garden apartments. This is a slight disadvantage if you're looking for rental homes in Box Elder that you can get into quickly, but it does help you get the best deal possible.
Private landlords may not always have themselves fully legally covered when it comes to lease contracts and other legal matters concerning house rentals in Box Elder so make sure that the contract covers everything it needs to to be legally binding. If possible, bring in a lawyer to make sure that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. Box Elder does not have a great deal of rental availability, as turnover is slow for this region. Plan your move as far in advance as possible in order to watch the listings for great rental home options along the way.
Box Elder is home to four distinct neighborhoods.
Lemay Blvd / George Dr: This area is south of city center, and has some of the most sought-after housing in the area. The access to local amenities and the highway to get to Rapid City are highly accessible from this location, and the homes are gorgeous.
Quinn / Wall: This makes up the largest neighborhood of Box Elder and has most of the housing available. It provides easy access to the Interstate, although you have to do some driving to get to the businesses in this neighborhood.
Scott Dr / Lemay Blvd: This is located due north of the city center, and the housing options are aplenty. You still have the advantage of being right next to the businesses, although the housing in this area is not as luxurious and expansive as it is in other areas.
City Center: City Center helps to promote the small-town culture of Box Elder by bringing in plenty of small businesses that give this location character. This isn't another suburb drowning in chain restaurants, it's got a personality all its own.
Box Elder is the place you come home to after a long commute and day's work. It's a small town and you feel that in every last aspect of it, from the houses on large acreage to the fact that your neighbors actually talk to you when you get home. This friendly neighborhood holds events on a regular basis so you can get to know everyone. Since this is a smaller population town, you can also make a direct difference in the local government by showing up to planning meetings and other government functions. It's rare that you get to feel like you made a difference just by being there, and this is one of the few towns where you can actually manage that, if you happen to have a taste for politics.
