Watertown, SD health
On every measure CDC estimates, Watertown looks like South Dakota as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for WatertownWatertown’s Health Grade: B
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Watertown is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, and than 73% of towns with similar incomes.
Better than its income would suggest. Watertown is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in South Dakota ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Watertown with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Watertown uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
How Watertown 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
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Disability
Out of every 100 Watertown adults…
Bars show Watertown; the black tick is South Dakota. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
SD 24.1%
SD 29.7%
SD 18.8%
SD 15.2%
Keeping up with care
Share of Watertown adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Dakota.
How Watertown adults are doing
Living with a disability
of Watertown adults live with a disability (South Dakota 30.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: South Dakota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Watertown and the towns around it
Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.
Obesity
Care nearby
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 Watertown. 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 Watertown
| Measure | Watertown | Margin | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 31.9% | 28.9–35% | 33.3% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 33.2% | 30.1–36.5% | 34% | about the same |
| Obesity | 35.4% | 30.8–40.4% | 35.9% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 26.4% | 24–29.1% | 25.8% | about the same |
| Depression | 21.8% | 19–24.9% | 21.2% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 13.3% | 10.9–15.9% | 12.7% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10.4% | 9.2–11.6% | 10.1% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 9.6% | 8.8–10.5% | 9.2% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 10.2–13.1% | 11.7% | about the same |
| COPD | 7.1% | 6.3–8% | 6.7% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 7.2% | 6.4–7.9% | 6.8% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3.7% | 3.4–4% | 3.5% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.1% | 14–18.4% | 15.2% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 19.2% | 16.5–22.2% | 18.8% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 26.3% | 23–29.8% | 24.1% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4% | 26.7–34.1% | 29.7% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 76.7% | 73.6–79.7% | 76.5% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 66.7% | 63.6–69.5% | 69.2% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 83.2% | 81.3–85.1% | 84.8% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 68% | 64.1–71.6% | 65.5% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 81.4% | 76.1–85.7% | 76.6% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 76.1% | 73.4–78.8% | 75.9% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 8.9% | 7.5–10.5% | 8.8% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Frequent mental distress | 15.7% | 14.1–17.6% | 15.3% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 18.8% | 16.6–21.1% | 17.3% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 12.8% | 11.4–14.4% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.5% | 28.2–35% | 30.1% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 13.3% | 11.6–14.8% | 12.9% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15% | 13.3–16.8% | 13.7% | |
| Hearing | 8.8% | 7.8–9.7% | 8.2% | |
| Vision | 4.9% | 4.4–5.4% | 4.7% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.7% | 3.3–4.1% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 8.4% | 7.5–9.4% | 7.8% | |
How CDC estimates town health
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.