Health · Dempster

Dempster, SD health

On every measure CDC estimates, Dempster looks like South Dakota as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 57223, 57234

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 95 people are less certain, so we show Dempster's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Dempster 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 Dempster adults…

32 of every 100 Dempster adults have high blood pressure

South Dakota: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 28.3–36.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dempster, betterDempster, worseToo close to callSouth Dakota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.7% Dempster
SD 24.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31% Dempster
SD 29.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 18.6% Dempster
SD 18.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.4% Dempster
SD 15.2%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

SD 77%

Dentist visit

SD 69%

Cholesterol check

SD 85%

Colon screening

SD 66%

Mammogram

SD 77%

Taking BP meds

SD 76%

1 in 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Dempster 7.8% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)

Mind & connection

How Dempster adults are doing

1 in 5Dempster adults have been diagnosed with depression

19.9% · South Dakota 21.2% · too close to call

1 in 7Dempster adults are in frequent mental distress

14.5% · South Dakota 15.3% · too close to call

Disability

Living with a disability

28%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.8%

Thinking or memory12.4%

Hearing8%

Errands alone6.8%

Vision3.9%

Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Around Dempster

Dempster and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Dempster.

33.5%35.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first

Hidewood34.4%

Hamlin34.9%

Florence35.1%

Dempster35.3%

Care nearby

Sanford Clear Lake Medical CenterClear Lake · 13.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Prairie Lakes Healthcare SystemWatertown · 18.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Brookings Health SystemBrookings · 26.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Hendricks Community HospitalHendricks · 28.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Access Health - BrookingsBrookings · 26.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Horizon Health - Lake PrestonLake Preston · 30.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careDempster is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careDempster is not a shortage area

! Mental healthDempster's county is a federal shortage area.Human Services Agency - MHCA 5A · need score 19 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 Dempster. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 33 measures for Dempster

Measure	Dempster	Margin	South Dakota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	32.2%	28.3–36.8%	33.3%	about the same
High cholesterol	34.9%	30.7–39.4%	34%	about the same
Obesity	35.3%	27.9–44.2%	35.9%	about the same
Arthritis	26.1%	23–29.8%	25.8%	about the same
Depression	19.9%	16.8–23.5%	21.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	11.6%	9.3–14.2%	12.7%	about the same
Asthma	10%	8.8–11.3%	10.1%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.8%	8.9–10.8%	9.2%	about the same
Diabetes	10.6%	9.1–12.4%	11.7%	about the same
COPD	6.3%	5.4–7.3%	6.7%	about the same
Heart disease	6.6%	5.8–7.4%	6.8%	about the same
Stroke	3.3%	2.9–3.7%	3.5%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	14.4%	12–17.1%	15.2%	about the same
Binge drink	18.6%	15.5–22.3%	18.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	22.7%	18.8–27.4%	24.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	31%	25.3–37.2%	29.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	76.2%	72.4–79.9%	76.5%	about the same
Dentist visit	69.8%	66.3–73.2%	69.2%	about the same
Cholesterol check	86.2%	84.3–88.1%	84.8%	about the same
Colon screening	68.1%	63.2–73%	65.5%	about the same
Mammogram	78.6%	71.2–85%	76.6%	about the same
Taking BP meds	76.9%	73.8–80%	75.9%	about the same
No health insurance	7.8%	6.4–9.5%	8.8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress	14.5%	12.7–16.6%	15.3%	about the same
Fair or poor health	15.4%	13.2–18%	17.3%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	12%	10.5–13.8%	12.3%	about the same
Disability
Any disability	28%	24.1–32.4%	30.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	11.8%	10–13.8%	12.9%
Thinking or memory	12.4%	10.9–14.3%	13.7%
Hearing	8%	7.1–9.1%	8.2%
Vision	3.9%	3.5–4.4%	4.7%
Dressing or bathing	3.1%	2.8–3.5%	3.5%
Errands alone	6.8%	6–7.8%	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 Dempster 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 Dempster better or worse.

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

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.