County health data
Union County, SD
CDC PLACES estimates diabetes at 10.6% of adults in Union County (South Dakota: 11.8%). This county has 1 HRSA shortage designation, 1 hospital, and 3 health center sites.
License. US government work, Public Domain Mark 1.0.
For help with food, housing, utilities, or rides in Union County, call 211 or visit 211.org.
Health measures compared with the state
33 measures for adults in Union County (about 13,101 adults). 24 have a South Dakota figure from the same survey.
Largest differences from the South Dakota figure: obesity 31.2% vs 36.0% (-4.8 points), no leisure-time physical activity 21.1% vs 25.7% (-4.6 points), and depression 19.9% vs 23.1% (-3.2 points).
Health Outcomes
| Measure | Union County | South Dakota | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis | 25.1% | 26.2% | 26.3% | 2023 |
| High blood pressure | 32.0% | 35.2% | 34.0% | 2023 |
| Cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer | 9.9% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Current asthma | 9.6% | 9.7% | 10.2% | 2023 |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 2023 |
| COPD | 5.9% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 2023 |
| Depression | 19.9% | 23.1% | 21.8% | 2023 |
| Diagnosed diabetes | 10.6% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 2023 |
| High cholesterol, adults ever screened | 34.7% | 35.5% | 37.2% | 2023 |
| Obesity | 31.2% | 36.0% | 34.4% | 2023 |
| Stroke | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2023 |
| All teeth lost, ages 65 and older | 13.8% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Prevention
| Measure | Union County | South Dakota | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, ages 18 to 64 | 7.6% | 10.2% | 9.3% | 2023 |
| Taking blood pressure medicine, adults with high blood pressure | 76.8% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Routine checkup in the past year | 76.3% | 78.2% | 78.4% | 2023 |
| Cholesterol screening | 86.9% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Colorectal cancer screening, ages 45 to 75 | 65.4% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
| Dental visit in the past year | 71.9% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
| Mammogram, women ages 50 to 74 | 79.2% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Health Risk Behaviors
| Measure | Union County | South Dakota | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking | 18.4% | 19.8% | 15.1% | 2023 |
| Current smoking | 12.8% | 15.2% | 12.1% | 2023 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | 21.1% | 25.7% | 24.5% | 2023 |
| Short sleep | 31.2% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Health Status
| Measure | Union County | South Dakota | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health | 14.8% | 18.0% | 18.5% | 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress | 13.8% | 14.3% | 15.4% | 2023 |
| Frequent physical distress | 11.2% | 10.2% | 12.6% | 2023 |
Disability
| Measure | Union County | South Dakota | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability | 11.7% | 14.3% | 13.7% | 2023 |
| Any disability | 26.8% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Hearing disability | 7.6% | 8.2% | 7.4% | 2023 |
| Independent living disability | 6.4% | 8.6% | 7.8% | 2023 |
| Mobility disability | 11.1% | 13.1% | 13.4% | 2023 |
| Self-care disability | 3.0% | 3.9% | 3.7% | 2023 |
| Vision disability | 3.8% | 3.6% | 5.0% | 2023 |
Source: CDC PLACES county data, as of December 4, 2025. Publisher page
Source: CDC BRFSS prevalence data, as of September 15, 2026. Publisher page
Health professional shortage areas
HRSA lists 1 designated shortage row in Union County: mental health 1 (highest score 18). It covers a geographic area or population group.
| Discipline | Area or population | Facility | Highest score |
|---|---|---|---|
| mental health | 1 | 0 | 18 |
Area and population designations
| Designation | Discipline | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services - MHCA 12 | mental health | Geographic HPSA | 18 |
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page
Hospitals and readmission rates
CMS Care Compare lists 1 acute care or critical access hospital in Union County. None has a readmission rate CMS rates worse than the national rate.
| Hospital | City | Stars | Heart failure | Pneumonia | COPD | Heart attack | Hip or knee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUNES SURGICAL HOSPITAL | DAKOTA DUNES | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Each rate is the share of patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge, July 2023 to June 2025. "n/a" means CMS did not publish a rate for that hospital.
Source: CMS Care Compare hospital general information, as of August 13, 2026. Publisher page
Source: CMS Care Compare unplanned hospital visits, as of September 30, 2026. Publisher page
Health centers
3 active health center sites in Union County, run by 1 organization.
| Site ↑ | Health center | Address | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Health - Alcester | HORIZON HEALTH CARE, INC | 104 W 2nd St | Alcester 57001 |
| Horizon Health - Alcester Dental | HORIZON HEALTH CARE, INC | 111 Iowa St | Alcester 57001 |
| Horizon Health - Elk Point | HORIZON HEALTH CARE, INC | 204 E Main St | Elk Point 57025 |
Source: HRSA health center service delivery and look-alike sites, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page
South Dakota rural health plan
South Dakota Rural Health Transformation Plan
Initiatives, as the state's abstract names them (page 62):
- Connecting Technology & Data
- Advancing the Rural Workforce
- Keeping Healthcare Local and Strong
- Transforming Systems for Sustainability
CMS says the abstract budgets are illustrative and are not award amounts, so none are shown.
Source: CMS Rural Health Transformation Program state project abstracts, as of December 2025. Publisher page
For health centers, health departments, and nonprofits
Our community need, ready for a grant
Rivvi opens with Union County, SD filled in and writes one cited paragraph and a table: shortage scores, disease rates, and nearby hospitals for this county. Add the other counties you serve.
Write the need statementFree to start. Opens Rivvi, the AI workspace for healthcare teams.
Neighboring counties
Medicare plans in Union County, SD
About this data
County rates are CDC PLACES model-based estimates of adults, built from the CDC BRFSS survey and Census population data. State and US figures are BRFSS survey results for the same year. They are not averages of counties, and small differences may not be meaningful.
Shortage rows are HRSA designations with status Designated. Scores run from 0 to 25 (0 to 26 for dental); a higher score means greater need. Hospitals are acute care and critical access hospitals CMS lists in the county, with 30-day rates of unplanned readmission. Health centers are active HRSA-funded and look-alike sites.
Rural health plan initiatives are copied as the state wrote them. Nothing here is medical advice.
Source: CDC PLACES county data, as of December 4, 2025. Publisher page
Source: CDC BRFSS prevalence data, as of September 15, 2026. Publisher page
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page