Health · Buffalo Gap

Buffalo Gap, SD health

Buffalo Gap differs from South Dakota on 10 of 33 measures. It has more adults screened for colon cancer (72.5% vs 65.5%) and more adults seeing a dentist (73.3% vs 69.2%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (17.2% vs 12.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Buffalo Gap
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 131 people are less certain, so we show Buffalo Gap's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Buffalo Gap compares with South 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 Buffalo Gap adults…

39 of every 100 Buffalo Gap adults have high blood pressure
South Dakota: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 34–43.2%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Buffalo Gap, betterBuffalo Gap, worseToo close to callSouth Dakota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.6% Buffalo Gap
SD 24.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.3% Buffalo Gap
SD 29.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.6% Buffalo Gap
SD 18.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.8% Buffalo Gap
SD 15.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
SD 77%
73%
Dentist visit
SD 69%
89%
Cholesterol check
SD 85%
73%
Colon screening
SD 66%
76%
Mammogram
SD 77%
80%
Taking BP meds
SD 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Buffalo Gap 6.9% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)
Mind & connection

How Buffalo Gap adults are doing

1 in 5Buffalo Gap adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.8% · South Dakota 21.2% · too close to call
1 in 7Buffalo Gap adults are in frequent mental distress
13.8% · South Dakota 15.3% · too close to call
Disability

Living with a disability

30.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.6%
Thinking or memory12.3%
Hearing9.5%
Errands alone7.4%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.9%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Buffalo Gap

No hospital or community health center in Buffalo Gap itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERFall River Hospital - CahHot Springs · 9.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMonument Health Rapid City Hospital★★★★★ · 39.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Center of the Black HillsRapid City · 40.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.6 mi
Fall River Hospital - Cah
Hot Springs · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.2 mi
Monument Health Custer Hospital
Custer · not rated
ERRural critical access
38.6 mi
Black Hills Surgical Hospital
Rapid City · not rated
39.2 mi
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Rapid City · ★★★★★
ER
40.9 mi
Community Health Center of the Black Hills
2 sites · nearest in Rapid City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
48.4 mi
Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska
2 sites · nearest in Chadron
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careBuffalo Gap is not a shortage area
! Dental careBuffalo Gap's county is a federal shortage area.Custer County · need score 13 of 25
! Mental healthBuffalo Gap's county is a federal shortage area.Behavior Management Systems MHCA · need score 18 of 25

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 Buffalo Gap. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 33 measures for Buffalo Gap
MeasureBuffalo GapMarginSouth Dakota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure38.7%34–43.2%33.3%worse
High cholesterol39.6%35.1–44.1%34%worse
Obesity35.3%27.5–43.3%35.9%about the same
Arthritis31.4%27.6–35.3%25.8%worse
Depression19.8%16.6–23.3%21.2%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)17.2%14–20.8%12.7%worse
Asthma10.3%9–11.6%10.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.4%10.2–12.7%9.2%worse
Diabetes13.9%11.7–16.1%11.7%about the same
COPD7.8%6.2–9.6%6.7%about the same
Heart disease8.6%7.3–10%6.8%worse
Stroke4.1%3.5–4.8%3.5%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.8%12.2–19.5%15.2%about the same
Binge drink16.6%13.6–19.9%18.8%about the same
Get no exercise24.6%19.4–30%24.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours28.3%22.3–34.8%29.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79%75.3–82.5%76.5%about the same
Dentist visit73.3%69.8–76.4%69.2%better
Cholesterol check88.7%86.6–90.5%84.8%better
Colon screening72.5%67.3–77.3%65.5%better
Mammogram75.7%67.7–82.6%76.6%about the same
Taking BP meds80.2%76.9–83.2%75.9%better
No health insurance6.9%5.3–9.2%8.8%about the same
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress13.8%11.8–15.8%15.3%about the same
Fair or poor health17.7%14.2–21.4%17.3%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.5%11.4–15.7%12.3%about the same
Disability
Any disability30.7%25.6–35.9%30.1%
Walking or climbing stairs14.6%11.8–17.5%12.9%
Thinking or memory12.3%10.2–14.6%13.7%
Hearing9.5%8.1–10.9%8.2%
Vision4.6%3.9–5.5%4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.9%3.2–4.7%3.5%
Errands alone7.4%6.1–8.7%7.8%
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 Buffalo Gap door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the South Dakota figure falls inside it, we don't call Buffalo Gap better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Buffalo Gap directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01