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≈ B+Health Grade
Health in North Spearfish · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, North Spearfish is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns

North Spearfish trails South Dakota on 1 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for North Spearfish. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out

What stands out about health in North Spearfish

Health Grade

What’s behind North Spearfish’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, North Spearfish is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 87% of towns); the weakest is smoking, still better than 53%.

A−Self-rated health15.9% · SD 17.3% · U.S. 19.4%
B+Physical distress12.5% · SD 12.3% · U.S. 13%
AMental distress14.3% · SD 15.3% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.6% · SD 35.9% · U.S. 32.9%
B+Diabetes11% · SD 11.7% · U.S. 12%
B−Smoking14.5% smoke · SD 15.2% · U.S. 11.8%
B+Exercise22.7% · SD 24.1% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 75%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $58K–$96K (10,817)Healthier than 87%

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). North Spearfish’s median household income is $76,809; among the 10,817 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$96K), it’s healthier than 87%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, North Spearfish could be anywhere from C+ to A. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 North Spearfish adults…

North Spearfish runs above SD on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 North Spearfish adults have had cancer
South Dakota: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.4–11.5%
Better than SDWorseAbout the sameSouth Dakota
Why age matters here

North Spearfish is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across South Dakota. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in North Spearfish as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

North Spearfish27%
South Dakota18%
Getting care

Care in and near North Spearfish

No hospital or community health center in North Spearfish itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERMonument Health Spearfish HospitalSpearfish · 2.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Center of the Black HillsRapid City · 45.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.3 mi
Monument Health Spearfish Hospital
Spearfish · ★★★★★
ER
13 mi
Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital
Deadwood · not rated
ERRural critical access
20.9 mi
Monument Health Sturgis Hospital
Sturgis · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.6 mi
VA Black Hills Healthcare System
Fort Meade · ★★★★★
ERFor veterans
45.2 mi
Community Health Center of the Black Hills
2 sites · nearest in Rapid City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
98 mi
Horizon Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Faith
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNorth Spearfish is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNorth Spearfish is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers North Spearfish 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 North Spearfish; ≈ 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 22.7%SD 24.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 28.9%SD 29.7%
Binge drink 19.1%SD 18.8%
Smoke cigarettes 14.5%SD 15.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
North Spearfish, betterNorth Spearfish, worseAbout the sameSouth Dakota
Where North Spearfish gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

75%Yearly checkupSD 77%
72%Dentist visitSD 69%
87%Cholesterol checkSD 85%
69%Colon screeningSD 66%
80%MammogramSD 77%
77%Taking BP medsSD 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
North Spearfish 7.9% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)
Mind & connection

How North Spearfish adults are doing

About the same as South Dakota on each measure.

1 in 5North Spearfish adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.1% · SD 21.2% · About the same as SD
1 in 7North Spearfish adults are in frequent mental distress
14.3% · 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

North Spearfish and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
North SpearfishB+33.6%11%14.5%CDC place
SpearfishA−30.7%9.6%12.7%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

29.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.1%
Thinking or memory13%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone7.2%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.5%
South Dakota

Every CDC estimate for North Spearfish

Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, North Spearfish is better than South Dakota on 0 and worse on 1; on the rest, the South Dakota figure falls inside North Spearfish’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…North SpearfishSDU.S.vs SD
Overall health
Fair or poor health15.9%13.7–18.717.3%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)12.5%10.9–14.412.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.3%12.6–16.415.3%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.6%29.1–38.735.9%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11%9.6–12.611.7%12%About the same
High blood pressure32.1%29–35.433.3%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.1%32–38.734%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.4%25.7–31.325.8%25.3%About the same
Asthma10.2%9.1–11.610.1%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.4%9.4–11.59.2%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7.2%6.3–8.16.8%6.4%About the same
COPD6.8%5.8–8.16.7%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.6%3.1–43.5%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.3%9.9–1512.7%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.5%11.8–17.515.2%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work22.7%19.2–26.624.1%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking19.1%16.4–22.318.8%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours28.9%23.1–35.529.7%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.9%6.1–108.8%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year75.2%71.9–78.676.5%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year71.7%68.5–74.969.2%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.7%84.5–88.784.8%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.1%74.1–8075.9%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)69.3%64.5–73.865.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)80.2%73.3–86.176.6%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression21.1%18.4–24.221.2%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability29.4%25.9–33.530.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs13.1%11.2–15.212.9%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering13%11.2–15.113.7%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.4%7.5–9.58.2%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4.3%3.8–4.94.7%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.2%6.2–8.47.8%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.5%3–4.13.5%3.8%About the same

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 North Spearfish

Is North Spearfish a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, North Spearfish is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 87%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in North Spearfish?

CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.1% and 38.7%, against 35.9% across South Dakota and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to North Spearfish?

Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital in Deadwood, 13.0 miles in a straight line from North Spearfish’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in North Spearfish have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–10%), 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 North Spearfish more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in North Spearfish.

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. 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.