Live-In Caregivers in Box Elder, SD: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Box Elder, SD: the local picture

19

residents 85 or older (0.1% of all residents)

369

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (71%)

65%

of Box Elder homes have 3 or more bedrooms (62% in Pennington County)

$11.85

South Dakota minimum wage per hour

About 19 Box Elder residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 65% of homes in Box Elder have three or more bedrooms (62% in Pennington County), while 9.4% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Box Elder households headed by someone 65 or older, 369 own their home and 151 rent. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Box Elder compared with Pennington County and South Dakota

Census figure	Box Elder	Pennington County	South Dakota
Residents 85 or older	0.1%	2.2%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	22%	29%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	45%	33%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	16%	8.9%	10%
Residents 65 or older	7.5%	20%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	4.2%	4.4%	7.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$47,727	$56,451	—

Older residents in towns around Box Elder

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Rapid Valley, SD	3.6 mi	1,292	118
Rapid City, SD	7.3 mi	16,108	2,099
Blackhawk, SD	13 mi	550	26
Colonial Pine Hills, SD	13 mi	793	13
Summerset, SD	14 mi	248	29
Sturgis, SD	29 mi	1,375	187

Emergency hospitals near Box Elder

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital	Rapid City, SD	6.5 mi	3 of 5	(605) 755-1000
Monument Health Sturgis Hospital	Sturgis, SD	23 mi	not rated	(605) 720-2400
Va Black Hills Healthcare System	Fort Meade, SD	28 mi	5 of 5	(605) 347-2511

Straight-line miles from the center of Box Elder. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Box Elder

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.15 an hour (the South Dakota median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,932 a month (99% of the $3,977 monthly median income of Box Elder households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,213 a month (332% of the $3,977 monthly median income of Box Elder households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. South Dakota's minimum wage is $11.85 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Box Elder: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Box Elder?

Monument Health Rapid City Hospital in Rapid City, about 6.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Box Elder (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (605) 755-1000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Box Elder?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.15 an hour (the South Dakota median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,932 a month (99% of the $3,977 monthly median income of Box Elder households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,213 a month (332% of the $3,977 monthly median income of Box Elder households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. South Dakota's minimum wage is $11.85 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Box Elder?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Box Elder it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Box Elder

More senior care near Box Elder

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Box Elder

More for Box Elder families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Box Elder, SD