Box Elder, SD

Box Elder is a fast-growing city in Pennington and Meade counties, just east of Rapid City. Ellsworth Air Force Base is the dominant local institution, shaping schools, housing, jobs, and the city's military rhythm. Douglas School District serves many families in Box Elder and on the base. The community sits on the edge of the Black Hills region but has more of a prairie-and-airbase feel than a tourist-town one. Box Elder is practical, young, and closely tied to Rapid City's expanding metro.