Best Hospitals in South Dakota 2026
South Dakota has 61 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $13K. The top-rated hospital is Avera Heart Hospital Of South Dakota in Sioux Falls with a 5-star CMS rating.
Sorted by average Medicare payment, South Dakota's 61 hospitals span from $8,453 (St Michael's Hospital - Cah) at the low end to $19,185 (Same Day Surgery Center Llc) at the high end. Within-state cost spread on hospital procedures is consistently wide across the U.S.
These rankings are pure-cost rankings. The quality dimension lives in the CMS Hospital Compare star rating shown alongside each entry; the combined-value grade on the right of the table aggregates both. For patients comparing hospital costs, the ranking is a useful first cut, but the procedure-specific page is the better tool: cost spreads vary by DRG code, and the all-procedure average can hide important per-procedure differences.
Across South Dakota's 61 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $13K, below the national average of $16K. 16% ofSouth Dakota's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 30% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in South Dakota range from St Michael's Hospital - Cah at $8K per procedure to Same Day Surgery Center Llc at $19K — a difference of $11K on the same kinds of inpatient stays. Where you go for the same procedure can swing the bill by more than the procedure itself.
All numbers come from the latest CMS Hospital Compare release, which uses Medicare claims data and only reflects payments for Medicare inpatient stays — not what private insurers or self-pay patients actually pay. Star ratings combine seven groups of measures including mortality, patient safety, readmissions, and patient experience. Lower-priced hospitals can still earn an A on the Value Score if their quality stays competitive.
Top 3 Hospitals in South Dakota
Avera Heart Hospital Of South Dakota
Sioux Falls, SD
South Dakota's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $17K per procedure. Outcome score: 58/100.
Sioux Falls Va Medical Center
Sioux Falls, SD
Second-best in South Dakota. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 50/100. Average procedure payment: $11K.
Avera St Lukes
Aberdeen, SD
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 86/100. Lists 9 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 61 Hospitals in South Dakota
Hospital quality and cost data for South Dakota is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Avera Heart Hospital Of South Dakota in Sioux Falls is the top-rated hospital in South Dakota with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $17K. Its Value Score is 76/100 (Grade B).
South Dakota has 61 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $13K, and 30% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
South Dakota's average procedure payment of $13K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $8K at St Michael's Hospital - Cah to $19K at Same Day Surgery Center Llc — a gap of $11K per procedure.
Of 61 hospitals analyzed in South Dakota, 10 (16%) earn a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or better. CMS star ratings combine measures of mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timeliness, and effectiveness of care.
Hospitals are ranked first by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars), then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates, patient safety, and readmissions. The Value Score combines price percentile (40%, lower price = higher score), quality rating (40%), and outcome score (20%).
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).