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Bates

A township of 44 people in Hand County, South Dakota

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Town hallWanted · be the first Main streetWanted · be the first The libraryWanted · be the first Add a photoStart the Bates album

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Now in Bates

What’s happening this week

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Around town

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Around town

The places and views that make it Bates

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The Bates album

0 of 12 shotsNeighbors document Bates together

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Hand County, South Dakota (1892)

1892

From Bates’s story

Hand County, South Dakota (1892), 1892

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

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Know Bates

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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Town numbers

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Living in Bates

Health in Bates

Compared with South Dakota

5better than SD·4worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 17 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 4▼ 7 close Habits all close Care 4▲ 3 close Mind all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.6%Fewer older adults who have lost all their teethSD 12.7% · better 70%More adults screened for colon cancerSD 65.5% · better 11%More adults who have had cancerSD 9.2% · worse

Care nearby

Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center - CahWessington Springs · 14.8 mi · ER · rural critical access

Horizon Health - Wessington Springs DentalWessington Springs · 14.9 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP code 57381 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Bates →

Natural hazards in Bates

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding🔥 Wildfire

0Does Bates flood?no paid flood claims on record NoneDisasters that paid out hereof 19 declared for Hand County MapBates vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Bates →

Climate in Bates

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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.

28° / 11°Winter

55° / 33°Spring

81° / 58°Summer

58° / 36°Fall

How much snow does Bates get?About 45 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 8, with the last in spring around May 2.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.0° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Bates →

Libraries near Bates

Nearest: Wessington Springs Carnegie LibraryWessington Springs · 14.6 miles · 23 hrs a week

Where Bates is

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Imported town boundary

South Dakota · SD · Hand CountyTown boundary on OpenStreetMap →

How things work in Bates

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Town hall & decisionsTrash, recycling & yard wasteUtilities & servicesStreets, parking & getting aroundSafety & preparednessSchools & learningParks, sports & recreationHealth & emergency care