Health · Spencer

Spencer, SD health

Spencer differs from South Dakota on 5 of 33 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (80.4% vs 75.9%) and more adults getting cholesterol checked (88.1% vs 84.8%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (12.1% vs 9.2%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 103 people are less certain, so we show Spencer's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Spencer 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 Spencer adults…

36 of every 100 Spencer adults have high blood pressure
South Dakota: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32–40.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Spencer, betterSpencer, worseToo close to callSouth Dakota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.1% Spencer
SD 24.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.4% Spencer
SD 29.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.3% Spencer
SD 18.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.5% Spencer
SD 15.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
SD 77%
71%
Dentist visit
SD 69%
88%
Cholesterol check
SD 85%
69%
Colon screening
SD 66%
77%
Mammogram
SD 77%
80%
Taking BP meds
SD 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Spencer 7.1% · South Dakota 1 in 11 (8.8%)
Mind & connection

How Spencer adults are doing

1 in 5Spencer adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.5% · South Dakota 21.2% · too close to call
1 in 8Spencer adults are in frequent mental distress
13.3% · South Dakota 15.3% · too close to call
Disability

Living with a disability

30.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.2%
Thinking or memory11.9%
Hearing9.9%
Errands alone7.2%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.4%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Spencer

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

HNearest ERAvera Queen of PeaceMitchell · 20.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAvera St. Benedict Health Center - Cah★★★★★ · 30.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHorizon Health CareHoward · 19.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
19.8 mi
Horizon Health Care
6 sites · nearest in Howard
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
20.8 mi
Avera Queen of Peace
Mitchell · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
21.7 mi
Access Health - Mitchell
Mitchell · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
27.4 mi
Freeman Medical Center - Cah
Freeman · not rated
ERRural critical access
29.9 mi
Madison Regional Health System
Madison · not rated
ERRural critical access
30.2 mi
Avera St. Benedict Health Center - Cah
Parkston · ★★★★★
Rural critical access
✓ Primary careSpencer is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careSpencer is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSpencer's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, South Eastern Behavioral Healthcare · need score 17 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 Spencer. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 33 measures for Spencer
MeasureSpencerMarginSouth Dakota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure36.3%32–40.8%33.3%about the same
High cholesterol36.9%32.4–41.2%34%about the same
Obesity35.3%27.7–43.3%35.9%about the same
Arthritis30.4%26.9–34.1%25.8%worse
Depression19.5%16.4–23%21.2%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.8%10.2–15.8%12.7%about the same
Asthma9.5%8.4–10.8%10.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)12.1%10.8–13.4%9.2%worse
Diabetes12.4%10.3–14.7%11.7%about the same
COPD7.3%5.7–9.1%6.7%about the same
Heart disease8.1%6.9–9.4%6.8%worse
Stroke4%3.4–4.8%3.5%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.5%10.2–17.1%15.2%about the same
Binge drink17.3%14.4–20.5%18.8%about the same
Get no exercise24.1%19.1–29.6%24.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours28.4%21.9–35.4%29.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup78.5%74.9–81.8%76.5%about the same
Dentist visit70.7%66.8–74.2%69.2%about the same
Cholesterol check88.1%85.7–90.2%84.8%better
Colon screening69.4%64.1–74.3%65.5%about the same
Mammogram76.8%68.3–83.8%76.6%about the same
Taking BP meds80.4%77.4–83.1%75.9%better
No health insurance7.1%4.9–10%8.8%about the same
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress13.3%11.2–15.4%15.3%about the same
Fair or poor health16.5%13.2–20.4%17.3%about the same
Frequent physical distress12.8%10.7–15.1%12.3%about the same
Disability
Any disability30.5%25.5–36%30.1%
Walking or climbing stairs14.2%11.5–17.3%12.9%
Thinking or memory11.9%9.7–14.5%13.7%
Hearing9.9%8.5–11.4%8.2%
Vision4.3%3.6–5.3%4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.4%2.8–4.2%3.5%
Errands alone7.2%5.9–8.8%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 Spencer 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 Spencer better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Spencer 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