Photo: devriesm · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Hot Springs is healthier than 24% of U.S. towns
Hot Springs differs from South Dakota on 17 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Hot Springs. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Hot Springs
Heart disease, stroke and COPD run high in Hot Springs
1 in 9 adults have heart disease (11.4%), vs 6.8% across South Dakota. 1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.7%), vs 3.5% across South Dakota. COPD is also above the state: 10.9%, vs 6.7% across South Dakota. In all, Hot Springs runs above South Dakota on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 38% of residents are 65 or older (South Dakota 18%), and heart disease, stroke and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Hot Springs adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.1%), vs 24.1% across South Dakota. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Hot Springs, and more people treating it
44.4% of adults have high blood pressure (South Dakota 33.3%), but 82.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Hot Springs is short on primary care and mental health care
Hot Springs’ 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 ↓
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 Hot Springs’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Hot Springs’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hot Springs is healthier than 24% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 83% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Hot Springs’ median household income is $66,338; among the 10,128 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 29%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Most South Dakota towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Hot Springs is healthier than 3% of graded towns, against 24% nationally.
Where Hot Springs compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.1% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Hot Springs adults…
Hot Springs runs above SD on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Hot Springs is an older town: 38% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across South Dakota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Hot Springs as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Dakota
Share of adults, with the South Dakota figure marked.
6 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Hot Springs adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Dakota.
Care in and near Hot Springs
No hospital or community health center in Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs; ≈ 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).
How Hot Springs 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.
Hot Springs and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs | C− | 38.1% | 17% | 17.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Hot Springs adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Hot Springs
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Hot Springs is better than South Dakota on 4 and worse on 13; on the rest, the South Dakota figure falls inside Hot Springs’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Hot Springs | SD | U.S. | vs SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.2%19.9–27.2 | 17.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.2–18.8 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%12.9–16.7 | 15.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.1%30.2–46.8 | 35.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17%14.7–19.4 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 44.4%39.6–49 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.3%36.6–46.2 | 34% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.3%32.3–40.2 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12.1 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.7%11.4–14 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.4%10–12.8 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.9%9.2–12.9 | 6.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.7%5–6.4 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.6%16.2–23.5 | 12.7% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.9%15–21.3 | 15.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32.1%26.7–37.8 | 24.1% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.4%11.7–17.2 | 18.8% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.9%26–38.6 | 29.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.6%7.7–12.1 | 8.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.2%76.6–83.3 | 76.5% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.4%59.9–67.1 | 69.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.7%85.8–89.3 | 84.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.1%79.3–84.7 | 75.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.8%63–72.5 | 65.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.9%69.6–83.5 | 76.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.3%17–23.7 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.5%34.5–44.7 | 30.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.5%17.6–23.9 | 12.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.8%12.8–17 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 13.1%11.6–14.7 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6.1–8.1 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.3%8.9–12 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.5%4.7–6.4 | 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 Hot Springs
Is Hot Springs a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hot Springs is healthier than 24% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 29%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Hot Springs?
CDC estimates 38.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.2% and 46.8%, against 35.9% across South Dakota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Hot Springs?
Fall River Hospital - Cah in Hot Springs, 0.5 miles in a straight line from Hot Springs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Hot Springs have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.7–12.1%), 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 Hot Springs more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Hot Springs.
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.