1892 · Hand County, South Dakota (1892) · Wikimedia Commons
Bates’s story
Bates in pictures
1 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
Explore the history →BatesSD
A town.
Bates’s report card
Now in Bates
Be the first to start the conversation.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bates. Another town gets a different order.
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Bates has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–28°
Spring33–55°
Summer58–81°
Fall36–58°
Oct 8
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
How healthy Bates is
Bates beats the South Dakota average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
26 measures vs. South Dakota
5 better17 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Bates | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.6% | 12.7% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70% | 65.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 9.2% |
Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center - Cah
14.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Bates’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Bates.
Spring LakeRose HillHarmonyBurr OakMarlarBates