Health · Buffalo

Buffalo, SD health

On most measures Buffalo looks like South Dakota as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults who have had cancer (10.4% vs 9.2%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 278 people are less certain, so we show Buffalo's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Buffalo 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 adults…

33 of every 100 Buffalo adults have high blood pressure
South Dakota: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 29.1–37.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Buffalo, betterBuffalo, worseToo close to callSouth Dakota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 21.3% Buffalo
SD 24.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.9% Buffalo
SD 29.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18.3% Buffalo
SD 18.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.3% Buffalo
SD 15.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%
Yearly checkup
SD 77%
72%
Dentist visit
SD 69%
87%
Cholesterol check
SD 85%
66%
Colon screening
SD 66%
79%
Mammogram
SD 77%
78%
Taking BP meds
SD 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Buffalo 7.3% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)
Mind & connection

How Buffalo adults are doing

1 in 5Buffalo adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.1% · South Dakota 21.2% · too close to call
1 in 7Buffalo adults are in frequent mental distress
14% · South Dakota 15.3% · too close to call
Disability

Living with a disability

28.3%

of Buffalo adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs11.9%
Thinking or memory12.1%
Hearing8.3%
Errands alone6.7%
Vision3.9%
Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Buffalo

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

HNearest ERSouthwest Healthcare ServicesBowman · 41.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyWest River Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 52.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHorizon Health CareBison · 52.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
41.8 mi
Southwest Healthcare Services
Bowman · not rated
ERRural critical access
52.3 mi
Horizon Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Bison
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
52.5 mi
West River Regional Medical Center
Hettinger · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
52.7 mi
Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association
Ekalaka · not rated
ERRural critical access
60.3 mi
Fallon Medical Complex Hospital
Baker · not rated
ERRural critical access
105.1 mi
Community Health Center of the Black Hills
2 sites · nearest in Rapid City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careBuffalo's county is a federal shortage area.Harding County · need score 9 of 25
! Dental careBuffalo's county is a federal shortage area.Harding County · need score 8 of 25
! Mental healthBuffalo'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. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 33 measures for Buffalo
MeasureBuffaloMarginSouth Dakota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure33.4%29.1–37.9%33.3%about the same
High cholesterol34.8%30.4–39.3%34%about the same
Obesity35%27.2–43.9%35.9%about the same
Arthritis26.9%23.5–30.7%25.8%about the same
Depression20.1%16.9–23.7%21.2%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)13.6%10.8–16.8%12.7%about the same
Asthma9.8%8.7–11.2%10.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.4%9.3–11.6%9.2%worse
Diabetes11%9.2–12.9%11.7%about the same
COPD6.3%5.1–7.7%6.7%about the same
Heart disease6.8%5.8–8%6.8%about the same
Stroke3.4%2.9–3.9%3.5%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.3%10.3–16.6%15.2%about the same
Binge drink18.3%15.1–21.9%18.8%about the same
Get no exercise21.3%16.7–26.5%24.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours28.9%22.6–35.9%29.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup77%73–80.5%76.5%about the same
Dentist visit72%68.6–75.4%69.2%about the same
Cholesterol check87%84.7–89.1%84.8%about the same
Colon screening65.8%60.4–71%65.5%about the same
Mammogram79%71–85.4%76.6%about the same
Taking BP meds78.1%74.8–80.9%75.9%about the same
No health insurance7.3%5.3–9.7%8.8%about the same
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress14%12–16.1%15.3%about the same
Fair or poor health15.1%12.1–18.5%17.3%about the same
Frequent physical distress11.7%9.9–13.8%12.3%about the same
Disability
Any disability28.3%23.7–33.6%30.1%
Walking or climbing stairs11.9%9.7–14.5%12.9%
Thinking or memory12.1%10.2–14.4%13.7%
Hearing8.3%7.1–9.6%8.2%
Vision3.9%3.3–4.6%4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.1%2.6–3.7%3.5%
Errands alone6.7%5.6–8%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 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 better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Buffalo 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