Health · South Fork

South Fork, ND health

South Fork differs from North Dakota on 17 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (16.1% vs 21.3%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (81.7% vs 76.3%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (9.6% vs 6.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 57638 (all of South Fork)

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 13 people are less certain, so we show South Fork's figures without a grade.

Report card

How South Fork compares with North Dakota

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 South Fork adults…

39 of every 100 South Fork adults have high blood pressure

North Dakota: 32 in 100 · worse · margin 35.6–43.1%

Bars show South Fork; the black tick is North Dakota. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

South Fork, betterSouth Fork, worseToo close to callNorth Dakota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.5% South Fork
ND 21.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.8% South Fork
ND 32.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.1% South Fork
ND 21.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16% South Fork
ND 13.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

ND 74%

Dentist visit

ND 65%

Cholesterol check

ND 83%

Colon screening

ND 65%

Mammogram

ND 78%

Taking BP meds

ND 76%

1 in 12

working-age adults has no health insurance

South Fork 8.6% · North Dakota 1 in 14 (7.3%)

Mind & connection

How South Fork adults are doing

1 in 4South Fork adults feel lonely

27.5% · North Dakota 29.6% · too close to call

1 in 5South Fork adults have been diagnosed with depression

20.3% · North Dakota 21.3% · too close to call

1 in 5South Fork adults lack social or emotional support

20.8% · North Dakota 20.6% · too close to call

1 in 7South Fork adults are in frequent mental distress

14.5% · North Dakota 14.2% · too close to call

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 8

South Fork adults worry about having enough food

12.3% · ND 10.7% · about the same

1 in 12

South Fork adults worry about keeping their housing

8.6% · ND 8.9% · about the same

1 in 17

South Fork adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.9% · ND 5.8% · about the same

1 in 15

South Fork adults lack reliable transportation

6.7% · ND 6.5% · about the same

8.7% of South Fork adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.7% across North Dakota.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.6%

of South Fork adults live with a disability (North Dakota 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.3%

Thinking or memory13.7%

Hearing11.3%

Errands alone9.1%

Vision5.6%

Dressing or bathing4.5%

Black tick: North Dakota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around South Fork

South Fork and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health.

35.8%40.2%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#1 of 6towns on this map, healthiest first

South Fork35.8%

Orange35.8%

Beisigl38.4%

Care nearby

Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care CenterElgin · 25.2 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

West River Regional Medical CenterHettinger · 27.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Southwest Healthcare ServicesBowman · 64.9 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Standing Rock Service UnitFort Yates · 65.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Horizon Health - BisonBison · 42.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Bismarck ClinicBismarck · 79 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careSouth Fork is not a shortage area

! Dental careSouth Fork's county is a federal shortage area.Adams County · need score 11 of 25

! Mental healthSouth Fork's county is a federal shortage area.Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center MHCA · need score 17 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of South Fork. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for South Fork

Measure	South Fork	Margin	North Dakota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.3%	35.6–43.1%	31.8%	worse
High cholesterol	39%	35.1–43%	33.8%	worse
Obesity	35.8%	29.2–42.9%	36.5%	about the same
Arthritis	33.2%	30–36.5%	25.3%	worse
Depression	20.3%	17.6–23.3%	21.3%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	15.3%	12.8–18%	10.8%	worse
Asthma	10.3%	9.3–11.5%	10.1%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	12.2%	11.1–13.3%	8.2%	worse
Diabetes	14.3%	12.6–16.2%	9.8%	worse
COPD	9.2%	8–10.5%	5.9%	worse
Heart disease	9.6%	8.6–10.7%	6.1%	worse
Stroke	4.8%	4.3–5.3%	3.1%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	16%	13.8–18.3%	13.1%	worse
Binge drink	16.1%	13.6–18.8%	21.3%	better
Get no exercise	27.5%	23.3–31.8%	21.8%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	28.8%	23.5–34%	32.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.8%	75.6–81.7%	74.4%	better
Dentist visit	65.7%	62.4–68.7%	64.5%	about the same
Cholesterol check	87.1%	85.4–88.6%	82.7%	better
Colon screening	68%	63.6–72%	64.9%	about the same
Mammogram	76.4%	69.6–81.9%	78%	about the same
Taking BP meds	81.7%	79.3–83.8%	76.3%	better
No health insurance	8.6%	7–10.3%	7.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	27.5%	23.3–32.4%	29.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	20.8%	17.5–24.5%	20.6%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	14.5%	12.9–16.1%	14.2%	about the same
Fair or poor health	20.3%	17.6–23.1%	16.1%	worse
Frequent physical distress	14.7%	13–16.4%	11.4%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.3%	9.8–15.2%	10.7%	about the same
Housing insecurity	8.6%	7–10.2%	8.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	5.9%	4.9–6.9%	5.8%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.7%	5.7–7.9%	6.5%	about the same
Receive SNAP	8.7%	6.7–11%	6.7%
Disability
Any disability	34.6%	30.6–38.7%	27.6%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.3%	14.9–19.8%	11.2%
Thinking or memory	13.7%	12.1–15.4%	12.6%
Hearing	11.3%	10.2–12.6%	7.8%
Vision	5.6%	4.9–6.4%	4.1%
Dressing or bathing	4.5%	4–5.1%	3.1%
Errands alone	9.1%	7.9–10.4%	7.1%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed South Fork door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the North Dakota figure falls inside it, we don't call South Fork better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like South Fork by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover South Fork by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The North Dakota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.