A shallow octagonal electrical box having a back wall and a stepped sidewall construction. The back wall includes at least first and second substantially flat sections connected by an intermediate section. The sidewall extends from the back wall to an open front and has an octagonal shape formed by eight sidewall sections. At least three contiguous sidewall sections have a first height and at least three of the other sidewall sections have a second height that is different from the first. At least one sidewall section has an opening or aperture adapted to provide a passage into the interior. The sidewall can have a hub or connector attached to the exterior surface around the opening/aperture. The sidewall can also have a knockout and a plurality of mounting apertures.