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Health in Alton Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Alton Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Alton Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 57026, 57276, 57002. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
15.5%
About the same as SD (17.3%)
Obesity
39.3%
About the same as SD (35.9%)
No exercise
20.9%
About the same as SD (24.1%)
Uninsured
8.5%
About the same as SD (8.8%)
Feel lonely
28.2%
of adults
Nearest ER
9.4 mi
Brookings Health System
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Alton Township adults…

Alton Township runs below SD on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

3 of every 100 Alton Township adults have had a stroke
South Dakota: 4 in 100 · better · likely 2.8–3.4%
Better than SDWorseAbout the sameSouth Dakota
Getting care

Care in and near Alton Township

No hospital or community health center in Alton Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERBrookings Health SystemBrookings · 9.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBrookings Health System★★★★★ · 9.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRural Health CareBrookings · 9.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.4 mi
Brookings Health System
Brookings · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
9.4 mi
Rural Health Care
3 sites · nearest in Brookings
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15.1 mi
Hendricks Community Hospital
Hendricks · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
18.5 mi
Avera Flandreau Hospital - Cah
Flandreau · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
22.4 mi
Avera Tyler Hospital
Tyler · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
39 mi
Horizon Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Lake Preston
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Alton Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Alton Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Alton Township itself

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Alton Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with South Dakota

Share of adults, with the South Dakota figure marked.

Get no exercise 20.9%SD 24.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.3%SD 29.7%
Binge drink 20.4%SD 18.8%
Smoke cigarettes 13.5%SD 15.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Alton Township, betterAlton Township, worseAbout the sameSouth Dakota
Where Alton Township gets moving

2 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Alton Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Dakota.

76%Yearly checkupSD 77%
71%Dentist visitSD 69%
85%Cholesterol checkSD 85%
70%Colon screeningSD 66%
80%MammogramSD 77%
76%Taking BP medsSD 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Alton Township 8.5% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)
Mind & connection

How Alton Township adults are doing

About the same as South Dakota on each measure.

3 in 10Alton Township adults feel lonely
28.2% · About the same as SD
1 in 5Alton Township adults lack social or emotional support
20.9% · About the same as SD
1 in 4Alton Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.5% · SD 21.2% · About the same as SD
1 in 7Alton Township adults are in frequent mental distress
14.8% · SD 15.3% · About the same as SD
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Alton Township adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 9
Alton Township adults worry about having enough food
11.7%
About the same as SD
1 in 11
Alton Township adults worry about keeping their housing
8.9%
About the same as SD
1 in 17
Alton Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.9%
About the same as SD
1 in 14
Alton Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.1%
About the same as SD

9% of Alton Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps).

Around town

Alton Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Richland Township: 39.1%Sherman Township: 39.7%Bushnell: 40.3%Parnell Township: 39.1%Aurora Township: 38.8%Drammen Township: 37.2%Elkton Township: 39%Lake Hendricks Township: 37.9%Verdi Township: 38.6%Shaokatan Township: 37%Oak Lake Township: 37.3%White: 39.8%Afton Township: 38.9%Trenton Township: 38.4%Spring Creek Township: 36.5%Brookings: 35.9%Aurora: 39.3%Brookings Township: 37%Alton Township: 39.3%Alton TownshipRichland TownshipSherman TownshipBushnellParnell TownshipAurora TownshipBrookings Health System · Brookings · 9.4 mi · 4★ MedicareHHendricks Community Hospital · Hendricks · 15.1 miHAccess Health - Brookings · Brookings · 9.4 mi+
Healthier than SDNear SDLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#15 of 19 towns on this map, healthiest first
Aurora Township38.8%
Richland Township39.1%
Parnell Township39.1%
Alton Township39.3%
Sherman Township39.7%
Bushnell40.3%
SD35.9%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Sherman Township————
Richland Township————
Bushnell————
Aurora Township————
Parnell Township————

Sherman Township, Richland Township, Bushnell, Aurora Township and Parnell Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

26.5%

of Alton Township adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs10.7%
Thinking or memory13.1%
Hearing7.2%
Errands alone7%
Vision4%
Dressing or bathing3.2%
South Dakota

Questions about health in Alton Township

Why doesn’t Alton Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Alton Township.

What hospital is closest to Alton Township?

Brookings Health System in Brookings, 9.4 miles in a straight line from Alton Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Alton Township?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Access Health - Brookings in Brookings, 9.4 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Alton Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South Dakota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.