Box Elder, South Dakota
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2004 | −39.9% |
| 2008 | −26.1% |
| 2012 | −38.9% |
| 2016 | −40.6% |
| 2020 | −33.2% |
| 2024 | −36.1% |
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Other | Margin | Swing | vs U.S. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 30.9%Harris2,687 | 67.0%Trump5,822 | 2.0% | R+36.1 | R+2.9 | R+34.6 | 8,685 | |
| R | 32.2%Biden3,036 | 65.4%Trump6,160 | 2.4% | R+33.2 | D+7.4 | R+37.6 | 9,418 | |
| R | 26.4%Clinton1,408 | 67.0%Trump3,576 | 6.7% | R+40.6 | R+1.7 | R+42.7 | 5,341 | |
| R | 29.4%Obama1,042 | 68.3%Romney2,420 | 2.3% | R+38.9 | R+12.8 | R+42.8 | 3,542 | |
| R | 35.7%Obama792 | 61.8%McCain1,370 | 2.5% | R+26.1 | D+13.9 | R+33.3 | 2,217 | |
| R | 29.5%Kerry636 | 69.4%Bush1,498 | 1.1% | R+39.9 | — | R+37.5 | 2,158 |
Box Elder's population roughly tripled between 2000 and 2020, driven largely by expansion around Ellsworth AFB. That military-household demographic shapes a reliably conservative electorate in Pennington County's eastern fringe.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 40.6 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 2.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 36.1 points.
A population of 12,902, a 73% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $73,008 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Hays and Warsaw.
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
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Box Elder, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/city/4606620/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.