Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Box Elder, SD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.5% of gross income.
Box Elder rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (South Dakota state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These South Dakota cities have lower median rent than Box Elder, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Box Elder
View full rent data for Box Elder, SD →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Box Elder, SD?
Median rent in Box Elder is $1,557 a month. A typical registered nurse in South Dakota earns about $83,142 a year, which makes that rent 22.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Box Elder?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in South Dakota (~$83,142/yr) supports up to $2,079 a month in rent. Box Elder's current median rent is $1,557/mo, which leaves a $522/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Box Elder?
At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a registered nurse in South Dakota works roughly 39 hours a month to cover Box Elder's median rent of $1,557.
Where is rent cheaper than Box Elder for a registered nurse?
Nearby South Dakota cities with lower median rent include Harrisburg ($1,494/mo), Harrisburg ($1,453/mo), Harrisburg ($1,452/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.