County

Buffalo, SD

FIPS: 46017 · 225 Medicare beneficiaries · Geographic Variation 2023

Overview

Key headline metrics for Medicare beneficiaries living in Buffalo, SD. Source data from the CMS Medicare Fee-for-Service Geographic Variation Public Use File (2023) and CDC PLACES/SDOH.

Total Medicare Spending per Capita
$13,461
Actual Spending per Capita
$14,235
includes local geographic adjustments
Average HCC Risk Score
1.41
1.00 = nationally average. Higher = sicker panel.
Average Age
67.0
MA Participation
6.3%
share enrolled in Medicare Advantage
Dual Eligible
47.3%
also enrolled in Medicaid — low-income marker

Beneficiary Profile

Who the Medicare population is in this county — counts, enrollment mix, age, and risk-adjusted complexity.

Total Medicare Beneficiaries
225
Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries
165
MA Participation Rate
6.3%
Average Age
67.0
Average HCC Risk Score
1.41
CMS Hierarchical Condition Category score. Higher means a sicker average beneficiary.
Dual Eligible (Medicare + Medicaid)
47.3%
Share of beneficiaries also enrolled in Medicaid — a marker of low income and complex need.

Demographic mix

Female
47.9%
Male
52.1%

Utilization

How often Medicare beneficiaries use each service. Rates are per 1,000 beneficiaries; the "users" column shows the share of beneficiaries who used the service at least once.

ER Visits per 1,000 Benes
963.6

Health Outcomes

CDC PLACES — modeled prevalence of health outcomes among county adults. Values are age-adjusted or crude prevalence estimates with 95% CIs.

Obesity among adults
49.0%
95% CI: 40.6% – 57.1%
Age-adjusted prevalence
High blood pressure among adults
37.9%
95% CI: 33.6% – 42.2%
Age-adjusted prevalence
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened
29.5%
95% CI: 25.4% – 33.6%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Arthritis among adults
28.0%
95% CI: 24.6% – 31.3%
Age-adjusted prevalence
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years
26.9%
95% CI: 22.3% – 31.4%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Depression among adults
22.0%
95% CI: 18.5% – 25.7%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Diagnosed diabetes among adults
17.5%
95% CI: 15.2% – 19.8%
Crude prevalence
Current asthma among adults
13.8%
95% CI: 12.1% – 15.5%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults
10.5%
95% CI: 9.2% – 12.0%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Coronary heart disease among adults
9.0%
95% CI: 8.0% – 10.0%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults
5.6%
95% CI: 5.0% – 6.2%
Crude prevalence
Stroke among adults
4.9%
95% CI: 4.4% – 5.4%
Crude prevalence

Health Status

CDC PLACES — modeled prevalence of health status among county adults. Values are age-adjusted or crude prevalence estimates with 95% CIs.

Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults
32.3%
95% CI: 28.0% – 36.6%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Frequent mental distress among adults
23.1%
95% CI: 20.1% – 26.0%
Crude prevalence
Frequent physical distress among adults
19.5%
95% CI: 17.0% – 22.1%
Age-adjusted prevalence

Prevention

CDC PLACES — modeled prevalence of prevention among county adults. Values are age-adjusted or crude prevalence estimates with 95% CIs.

Cholesterol screening among adults
77.5%
95% CI: 74.3% – 80.5%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults
74.1%
95% CI: 70.0% – 78.0%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years
68.2%
95% CI: 58.8% – 76.5%
Crude prevalence
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure
59.9%
95% CI: 55.3% – 64.3%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years
50.6%
95% CI: 45.1% – 55.6%
Crude prevalence
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults
42.6%
95% CI: 38.4% – 46.4%
Crude prevalence
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years
14.6%
95% CI: 11.6% – 18.2%
Crude prevalence

Health Risk Behaviors

CDC PLACES — modeled prevalence of health risk behaviors among county adults. Values are age-adjusted or crude prevalence estimates with 95% CIs.

Short sleep duration among adults
38.8%
95% CI: 31.8% – 45.8%
Crude prevalence
No leisure-time physical activity among adults
36.4%
95% CI: 30.3% – 42.4%
Crude prevalence
Current cigarette smoking among adults
32.1%
95% CI: 27.9% – 36.7%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Binge drinking among adults
17.0%
95% CI: 14.0% – 20.4%
Crude prevalence

Disability

CDC PLACES — modeled prevalence of disability among county adults. Values are age-adjusted or crude prevalence estimates with 95% CIs.

Any disability among adults
44.8%
95% CI: 38.9% – 50.5%
Crude prevalence
Cognitive disability among adults
23.3%
95% CI: 20.0% – 26.7%
Crude prevalence
Mobility disability among adults
19.9%
95% CI: 17.2% – 22.7%
Crude prevalence
Independent living disability among adults
15.1%
95% CI: 13.1% – 17.2%
Age-adjusted prevalence
Vision disability among adults
11.0%
95% CI: 9.6% – 12.5%
Crude prevalence
Hearing disability among adults
10.9%
95% CI: 9.6% – 12.1%
Crude prevalence
Self-care disability among adults
6.9%
95% CI: 6.1% – 7.8%
Age-adjusted prevalence

Health-Related Social Needs

Community-level social and economic factors that drive health outcomes. Combines CDC PLACES health-related social-need measures (modeled from BRFSS) with CDC SDOH structural measures (from the American Community Survey).

Economic Stability

Below 150% Federal Poverty Level
51.5%
· MOE ±7.0
Share of county residents living below 150% of the federal poverty threshold.
Unemployment Rate
18.9%
· MOE ±6.0

Education & Connectivity

No High School Diploma (adults 25+)
18.8%
· MOE ±4.8
No Broadband Internet
38.3%
· MOE ±10.1
Share of households without a broadband internet subscription — a telehealth access barrier.

Housing

Housing Cost Burden
25.7%
· MOE ±5.9
Share of households paying more than 30% of income on housing.
Crowded Housing Units
11.6%
· MOE ±4.5
Single-Parent Households
15.9%
· MOE ±4.6

Demographics

Racial / Ethnic Minority Population
86.0%
· MOE ±4.6

All Data

Every labeled metric surfaced from Geographic Variation, PLACES, and SDOH, alongside the national county median for context.

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Show 58 rows
Source Metric Value National Median Pctl. Raw key
CDC PLACES All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years 26.9% — TEETHLOST
CDC PLACES Any disability among adults 44.8% — DISABILITY
CDC PLACES Arthritis among adults 28.0% — ARTHRITIS
CDC PLACES Binge drinking among adults 17.0% — BINGE
CDC PLACES Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults 5.6% — CANCER
CDC PLACES Cholesterol screening among adults 77.5% — CHOLSCREEN
CDC PLACES Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults 10.5% — COPD
CDC PLACES Cognitive disability among adults 23.3% — COGNITION
CDC PLACES Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years 50.6% — COLON_SCREEN
CDC PLACES Coronary heart disease among adults 9.0% — CHD
CDC PLACES Current asthma among adults 13.8% — CASTHMA
CDC PLACES Current cigarette smoking among adults 32.1% — CSMOKING
CDC PLACES Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years 14.6% — ACCESS2
CDC PLACES Depression among adults 22.0% — DEPRESSION
CDC PLACES Diagnosed diabetes among adults 17.5% — DIABETES
CDC PLACES Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults 32.3% — GHLTH
CDC PLACES Frequent mental distress among adults 23.1% — MHLTH
CDC PLACES Frequent physical distress among adults 19.5% — PHLTH
CDC PLACES Hearing disability among adults 10.9% — HEARING
CDC PLACES High blood pressure among adults 37.9% — BPHIGH
CDC PLACES High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened 29.5% — HIGHCHOL
CDC PLACES Independent living disability among adults 15.1% — INDEPLIVE
CDC PLACES Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years 68.2% — MAMMOUSE
CDC PLACES Mobility disability among adults 19.9% — MOBILITY
CDC PLACES No leisure-time physical activity among adults 36.4% — LPA
CDC PLACES Obesity among adults 49.0% — OBESITY
CDC PLACES Self-care disability among adults 6.9% — SELFCARE
CDC PLACES Short sleep duration among adults 38.8% — SLEEP
CDC PLACES Stroke among adults 4.9% — STROKE
CDC PLACES Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure 59.9% — BPMED
CDC PLACES Vision disability among adults 11.0% — VISION
CDC PLACES Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults 42.6% — DENTAL
CDC PLACES Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults 74.1% — CHECKUP
CDC SDOH Below 150% FPL (%) 51.5% — POVERTY
CDC SDOH Crowded Housing (%) 11.6% — CROWDING
CDC SDOH Housing Cost Burden (%) 25.7% — HOUSING_BURDEN
CDC SDOH No Broadband (%) 38.3% — NO_BROADBAND
CDC SDOH No High School Diploma (%) 18.8% — NO_DIPLOMA
CDC SDOH Racial/Ethnic Minority (%) 86.0% — MINORITY
CDC SDOH Single-Parent Households (%) 15.9% — SINGLE_PARENT
CDC SDOH Unemployment (%) 18.9% — UNEMPLOYMENT
Geographic Variation Average Beneficiary Age 67.00 — BENE_AVG_AGE
Geographic Variation Average HCC Risk Score 1.41 — BENE_AVG_RISK_SCRE
Geographic Variation Dual Eligible Beneficiaries (%) 47.3% — BENE_DUAL_PCT
Geographic Variation ER Visits per 1,000 Beneficiaries 963.6 — ER_VISITS_PER_1000_BENES
Geographic Variation Female Beneficiaries (%) 47.9% — BENE_FEML_PCT
Geographic Variation FFS Beneficiary Count 165 — BENES_FFS_CNT
Geographic Variation Home Health Actual Per Capita Payment ($) $0 — HH_MDCR_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Home Health Standardized Per Capita Payment ($) $0 — HH_MDCR_STDZD_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Inpatient Actual Per Capita Payment ($) $3,835 — IP_MDCR_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Inpatient Standardized Per Capita Payment ($) $3,011 — IP_MDCR_STDZD_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Male Beneficiaries (%) 52.1% — BENE_MALE_PCT
Geographic Variation Medicare Advantage Participation Rate (%) 6.3% — MA_PRTCPTN_RATE
Geographic Variation Outpatient Actual Per Capita Payment ($) $4,715 — OP_MDCR_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Outpatient Standardized Per Capita Payment ($) $4,709 — OP_MDCR_STDZD_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Total Actual Per Capita Medicare Payment ($) $14,235 — TOT_MDCR_PYMT_PC
Geographic Variation Total Beneficiary Count 225 — BENES_TOTAL_CNT
Geographic Variation Total Standardized Per Capita Medicare Payment ($) $13,461 — TOT_MDCR_STDZD_PYMT_PC

Methodology

Primary source: Medicare Geographic Variation by County (dataset id geo-var-county, vintage 2023, downloaded 2026-04-13, 33,639 rows in source).

Additional data sources: CDC PLACES County-Level Data (2026), CDC SDOH Measures for County (2017-2021).

Percentile badges compare this county against all US counties that appear in the relevant dataset. "Lower is better" metrics (spending, readmission rates, chronic-disease prevalence, SDOH adversity) use an inverted color ramp — low percentile = green (good), high percentile = red (bad).

Medicare Geographic Variation shows standardized per-capita spending, utilization, and demographic characteristics for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries at the county level. Standardized payments remove geographic payment adjustments so counties can be compared fairly. AHRQ Prevention Quality Indicators (PQIs) measure the rate of hospitalization for ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs).

Full methodology →