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Main Street Bison South Dakota PostcardPhoto: Not credited · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Bison Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Bison Township residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 57620. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Bison Township

Bison Township is short on every kind of care federal data tracks

Bison Township’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

The nearest ER is 34 miles from Bison Township

The closest emergency room is West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, 33.8 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Horizon Health Care is closer (3.5 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓

COPD, heart disease and arthritis run high in Bison Township

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.5%), vs 6.7% across South Dakota. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.4%), vs 6.8% across South Dakota. Arthritis is also above the state: 31.2%, vs 25.8% across South Dakota. In all, Bison Township runs above South Dakota on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

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 Bison Township’s likely range; Bison Township’s figures come from ZIP code 57620, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Getting care

Care in and near Bison Township

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

HNearest ERWest River Regional Medical CenterHettinger · 33.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHorizon Health CareBison · 3.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.5 mi
Horizon Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Bison
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
33.8 mi
West River Regional Medical Center
Hettinger · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
62.3 mi
Southwest Healthcare Services
Bowman · not rated
ERRural critical access
69.9 mi
Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center
Elgin · not rated
ERRural critical access
82.4 mi
Eagle Butte Indian Health Service Hospital
Eagle Butte · not rated
ERRural critical access
104.1 mi
Community Health Center of the Black Hills
2 sites · nearest in Rapid City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Bison Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Bison Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Bison 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 Bison 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Bison Township adults…

Bison Township runs above SD on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Bison Township adults have COPD
South Dakota: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 7.2–10%
Better than SDWorseAbout the sameSouth Dakota
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with South Dakota

Share of adults, with the South Dakota figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.9%SD 24.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.1%SD 29.7%
Binge drink 17%SD 18.8%
Smoke cigarettes 16.8%SD 15.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Bison Township, betterBison Township, worseAbout the sameSouth Dakota
Where Bison Township gets moving

9.3 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupSD 77%
66%Dentist visitSD 69%
87%Cholesterol checkSD 85%
65%Colon screeningSD 66%
76%MammogramSD 77%
80%Taking BP medsSD 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Bison Township 8.2% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)
Mind & connection

How Bison Township adults are doing

About the same as South Dakota on each measure.

1 in 5Bison Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.2% · SD 21.2% · About the same as SD
1 in 7Bison Township adults are in frequent mental distress
15.1% · SD 15.3% · About the same as SD
The one neighbors can help with

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.

Around town

Bison Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Scotch Cap Township: 36.9%Bison: 37%Rainbow Township: 36.9%Marshfield Township: 36.2%Cash Township: 36.6%Strool-Plateau Township: no dataLone Tree Township: 37.4%Meadow Township: 37.7%Rockford Township: 35.8%Bison Township: 36.9%Bison TownshipScotch Cap TownshipBisonRainbow TownshipMarshfield TownshipHorizon Health - Bison · Bison · 3.5 mi+
Healthier than SDNear SDLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 9 towns on this map, healthiest first
Marshfield Township36.2%
Bison Township36.9%
Scotch Cap Township36.9%
Rainbow Township36.9%
Bison37%
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
Scotch Cap Township————
Rainbow Township————
Bison————
Marshfield Township————

Scotch Cap Township, Rainbow Township, Bison and Marshfield 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.

31.9%

of Bison Township adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.5%
Thinking or memory13.5%
Hearing9.7%
Errands alone8.4%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4.2%
South Dakota

Questions about health in Bison Township

Why doesn’t Bison 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 Bison Township.

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

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Horizon Health - Bison in Bison, 3.5 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bison 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.