Photo: Bradleygee · CC BY-SA 2.0Within South Dakota, Belle Fourche is healthier than 9% of graded towns
Belle Fourche trails South Dakota on 5 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Belle Fourche. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche is short on primary care and mental health care
Belle Fourche’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
COPD runs high in Belle Fourche
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.2%), vs 6.7% across South Dakota. Conditions ↓
Belle Fourche is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Belle Fourche is healthier than 48%. Against the 9,942 towns with similar household incomes ($49K–$81K), it’s healthier than 66%. Health Grade ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the South Dakota figure falls outside Belle Fourche’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
What’s behind Belle Fourche’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Belle Fourche is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns, #32 of 35 in South Dakota. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 63% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 30%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Belle Fourche’s median household income is $65,071; among the 9,942 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$81K), it’s healthier than 66%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Care in and near Belle Fourche
No hospital or community health center in Belle Fourche itself. These are the nearest.
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 Belle Fourche; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Belle Fourche adults…
Belle Fourche runs above SD on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Dakota
Share of adults, with the South Dakota figure marked.
0.6 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Belle Fourche adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Dakota.
How Belle Fourche adults are doing
About the same as South Dakota on each measure.
A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Belle Fourche and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Fourche | B− | 35.6% | 12.2% | 16.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Belle Fourche adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Belle Fourche
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Belle Fourche is better than South Dakota on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the South Dakota figure falls inside Belle Fourche’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Belle Fourche | SD | U.S. | vs SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.5%16.7–22.6 | 17.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.1–15.8 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.3–18.3 | 15.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.6%28.4–43.8 | 35.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.2%10.4–14 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.1%31.1–39.2 | 33.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.6%30.6–38.9 | 34% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.6%25.4–31.9 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.8%8.8–10.8 | 9.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%7.1–9.4 | 6.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.6–4.5 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.9%14.7–21.4 | 12.7% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.9%14.2–19.7 | 15.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28%23.3–33 | 24.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.3%15.1–21.7 | 18.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.2%25–37.8 | 29.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.3%8.2–12.3 | 8.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.6%71.6–79.2 | 76.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.2%61.6–68.7 | 69.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.2%82–86.3 | 84.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.9%73.9–79.6 | 75.9% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.3%60.8–71.3 | 65.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.7%68.6–83.3 | 76.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.9%18.6–25.4 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.7%28.2–37.4 | 30.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.9%12.8–17.3 | 12.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.3%13.3–17.4 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 8.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.7–6 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9%7.8–10.2 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the South Dakota figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Belle Fourche
Is Belle Fourche a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Belle Fourche is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #32 of 35 in South Dakota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 66%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Belle Fourche?
CDC estimates 35.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.4% and 43.8%, against 35.9% across South Dakota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Belle Fourche?
Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital in Deadwood, 21.3 miles in a straight line from Belle Fourche’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Belle Fourche have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.2–12.3%), against 8.8% across South Dakota.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Belle Fourche more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Belle Fourche.
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. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. 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.