State hospital quality · CMS Hospital Compare
Best CMS-rated hospitals in South Dakota
According to PlainHospital's state average CMS-star ranking, South Dakota ranks #3 of 54 states and territories by average overall star rating among rated hospitals (highest = #1).
- 61
- Hospitals
- #3 of 54
- Corpus placement
- 3.9★
- Avg (18 rated)
- 5
- Five-star
- 54
- With ER
South Dakota vs all states by Medicare hospital count
Where this state's Medicare-certified hospital inventory sits among every tracked state and territory (inventory signal, not a quality ranking)
61 34th of 56 higher than 22 of 56 states
States and territories, banded by Medicare-certified hospital count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Hospital Compare · 2026-08-14
The state picture
According to PlainHospital's state average CMS-star ranking, South Dakota ranks #3 of 54 states and territories by average overall star rating among rated hospitals (highest = #1). Among 18 rated hospitals, the state averages 3.9 of 5 stars.
- 3.9 / 5
- state average among rated (above 3.2 national)
- #3 of 54
- state corpus placement by avg star
- 5
- five-star hospitals
- 18 of 61 rated
- hospitals with a CMS overall rating
CMS star ratings are composite quality scores; 18 of 61 South Dakota hospitals had enough reporting volume to receive one. Not medical advice.
South Dakota hospital quality
South Dakota averages 3.9/5 CMS stars across 18 rated hospitals (above the 3.2 national average), with 5 five-star facilities of 61 Medicare-certified hospitals.
PlainHospital ranks South Dakota hospitals from CMS Hospital Compare overall star ratings (mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timely care). Corpus placement: #3 of 54 states and territories by average overall star among rated hospitals. 18 of 61 facilities had enough volume to receive a star; the rest stay unrated. Not medical advice - open a hospital page for the measure-level detail.
CMS star-rating mix in South Dakota
How 18 rated South Dakota hospitals break down across the 1–5 star scale
- 5★
5-star hospitals
5 hospitals
- 4★
4-star hospitals
8 hospitals
- 3★ 3
3-star hospitals
3 hospitals
- 2★ 2
2-star hospitals
2 hospitals
- 1★ 0
1-star hospitals
0 hospitals
What this shows 5 South Dakota hospitals reach five stars; the state's 3.9-star average sits above the 3.2-star national mark.
What the Data Shows About Hospitals in South Dakota
South Dakota has 61 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare program. Of these, 54 facilities operate an emergency department, an important signal for communities that rely on nearby acute-care access. The statewide average CMS overall star rating is 3.9 out of 5 , calculated across the 18 of 61 hospitals with enough reporting volume to generate a composite rating.
At the top of the quality distribution, 5 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS overall rating in South Dakota. The single highest-rated facility in the state registry is Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota in Sioux Falls, currently listed at 5/5 stars. Star ratings are composite scores built from mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience (HCAHPS), and timely & effective care domains, so a single number conceals meaningful per-domain variation that matters for specific procedures.
Showing 50 of 61 hospitals on this page (page 1 of 2). Hospital quality varies materially within a state, urban academic centers, rural critical-access hospitals, and specialty facilities report against different baselines, so comparing individual facility profiles before choosing planned care is more useful than relying on the statewide average alone. All figures reflect the CMS Hospital Compare release from , and nothing on this page is medical advice, consult a qualified clinician before making care decisions.
Top-Rated in South Dakota
Highest CMS star ratings among Medicare-certified hospitals in South Dakota.
- 🥇1 Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota ★★★★★
- 🥈2 Avera St Benedict Health Center - Cah ★★★★★
- 🥉3 Sanford Usd Medical Center ★★★★★
- 4 Sioux Falls VA Medical Center ★★★★★
- 5 VA Black Hills Healthcare System ★★★★★
- 6 Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center ★★★★
Compare Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota vs Avera St Benedict Health Center - Cah →
All Hospitals
Showing 1–50 of 61 hospitals
Hospital Quality in South Dakota
South Dakota has 61 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Of these, 5 have earned the highest 5-star overall quality rating, reflecting strong performance across mortality, safety of care, readmission rates, patient experience, and timely and effective care measures.
The average CMS star rating across the 18 rated of 61 South Dakota hospitals is 3.9. 54 facilities have emergency departments, an important factor for communities that depend on nearby acute care. Hospital quality can vary significantly within a state, so comparing individual facility ratings before choosing care is recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best hospital in South Dakota?
The highest-rated hospital in South Dakota is Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota in Sioux Falls with a CMS star rating of 5/5. There are 5 five-star hospitals in the state out of 61 Medicare-certified facilities.
How are hospitals rated?
CMS rates hospitals on a 1-to-5 star scale based on quality measures including mortality, safety, patient experience, readmission rates, and timely care. In South Dakota, the average star rating is 3.9 across rated hospitals.
How many hospitals are in South Dakota?
South Dakota has 61 Medicare-certified hospitals, of which 54 have emergency departments. 5 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS rating.
Data sources
Every figure on PlainHospital is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.