Browse communities by city and county.
Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the SD Dept. of Health (DOH), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest-ranked to lowest-ranked based on our methodology.
The facility name. Click to view the full profile page on Assisted Living Magazine, including photos, services, and contact info.
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CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that regulates nursing homes) Overall 5-star rating — a composite of Health Inspection, Staffing, and Quality Measures scores. 5 stars = top 10% nationally. 1 star = bottom 10%. The single most important number to start with when comparing facilities.
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Care Types in This Table
NH (Nursing Home):
24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs.
SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility):
Round-the-clock nursing care, often for recovery after surgery, injury, or illness.
MC (Memory Care):
Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia.
RC (Respite Care):
Short-term temporary care that gives family caregivers a break.
HOS (Hospice Care):
Comfort-focused care for those with a terminal illness, prioritizing quality of life over treatment.
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Neighborhood or city area where the facility is located. Proximity to family, hospitals, and green space matters for both quality of life and ease of visitation. Consider drive time and transit access when evaluating location.
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Licensed bed capacity. Larger facilities (300+ beds) often have more specialized programs but can feel institutional. Smaller homes (under 150 beds) tend to deliver more personalized care. Compare with Avg Res/Day to understand how full the facility typically runs.
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Percentage of licensed beds filled on an average day. Color indicates financial health: green (90%+) = operationally strong, typically profitable. Amber (80–89%) = stable but leaving revenue on the table. Orange (70–79%) = financial strain likely, may struggle with fixed costs. Red (<70%) = significant distress, closure or ownership change risk increases sharply.
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This facility's occupancy rate compared to the statewide average for similar facilities. A positive number means above-average demand. Facilities running 5%+ above the state average are typically the most sought-after in their market — a strong proxy for reputation.
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CMS-adjusted total nurse hours per resident per day (RN + LPN + CNA combined). The national average is approximately 3.5 hrs. Higher is better — more direct care time per resident. Below 3.0 is a red flag. CMS weights RN hours more heavily because RNs handle complex clinical decisions that CNAs cannot.
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A 0–100 score of a facility's regulatory inspection record, shown as a letter and compared with other facilities of the same kind in the same state. This is a proprietary Assisted Living Magazine grade. It is not a government rating. A dash means we have no inspection data for that facility.
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CMS Health Inspection star rating (1–5 stars), based on the 3 most recent annual state surveys plus any complaint investigations. This is the hardest rating to manipulate — it reflects real surveyor findings on-site. 5 stars = fewest deficiencies found. 1 star = most. It carries the heaviest weight in the Overall CMS rating.
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CMS Staffing star rating (1–5 stars), based on daily nurse staffing hours submitted to CMS via verified payroll data. Compares RN, LPN, and CNA coverage relative to resident acuity level. 5 stars = well above expected staffing. Weekend staffing is evaluated separately, as that's where many facilities quietly reduce coverage.
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CMS Quality Measures star rating (1–5 stars), based on 15 clinical outcome metrics including fall rates, pressure ulcers, antipsychotic drug use, and hospital readmissions. Captures actual resident health outcomes, not just compliance. High QM combined with low Health Inspection scores can indicate a facility with strong care but weak documentation practices.
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Registered Nurse hours per resident/day compared to the statewide average. RNs are the highest-skilled nursing staff — they assess residents, manage medications, and respond to emergencies. A value of +50% means RN coverage is 50% above the state norm. Negative values are a concern for residents with complex or acute medical needs.
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Total nursing staff hours (RN + LPN + CNA combined) per resident/day vs. the statewide average. A broader measure than RN vs State — it captures the entire care team. A facility can have high total staffing but low RN hours, meaning more aides and fewer nurses. Read both columns together for the full picture.
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Total dollar amount of federal monetary fines (civil money penalties) issued by CMS in the past 3 years. Fines are only levied for serious violations — typically actual harm to residents, repeated uncorrected deficiencies, or systemic non-compliance. Even a single fine is noteworthy. Multiple fines strongly suggest a pattern, not isolated incidents.
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Total health deficiency citations from the most recent standard inspection cycle. Minor citations (scope A–C) are common and often administrative in nature. Higher counts aren't always disqualifying, but should be read alongside Severe Citations to understand actual harm levels. Under 10 is strong for a large facility; 30+ warrants a closer look.
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Average deficiency citations per CMS inspection (survey) in the reporting window — total citations divided by the number of inspections. Lower is better; compare alongside total Citations and Severe Citations for context.
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Citations at CMS scope/severity level G or higher — G–I means actual harm occurred; J–L means residents were placed in immediate jeopardy. (D–F is potential for harm only). Examples include unaddressed falls, medication errors causing injury, neglect, or abuse.
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Average number of residents in the building on any given day, derived from annual census data. Reflects true operating scale — a 400-bed facility running 200 residents/day operates very differently from one at 390. Higher resident counts generally mean more funded staffing hours.
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Better Business Bureau rating (A+ to F). Reflects complaint history, business transparency, and how family disputes were resolved. A+ means no significant unresolved complaints. A blank (—) means the facility isn't BBB-accredited, which is common for healthcare providers and not necessarily a negative signal.
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Walk Score® (0–100). Measures walkability of the surrounding area. 90–100 = Walker's Paradise. 70–89 = Very Walkable. 50–69 = Somewhat Walkable. Below 50 = Car-Dependent. Higher scores benefit family visitors, resident outings, and staff commuting.
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The licensed owner or operator of record filed with CMS — the individual or organization legally accountable for the facility. Searching the operator name across other facilities can reveal chain or multi-site ownership, which matters: chain-operated homes tend to have more variable quality outcomes than independently run facilities.
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What the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts — not gross billings. Taken from the latest complete annual cost report, so it is comparable across homes reporting the same period. Revenue alone doesn't indicate care quality, but it funds staffing and capital reinvestment. Pair with Payroll %. Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
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Staff salaries plus wage-related benefits from the latest complete annual cost report. Contract and agency labour is counted separately, under other operating costs, so a home leaning on agency staff can show a low figure here. Payroll is the cost most directly tied to care quality — compare with Payroll % for full context. Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
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Payroll as a share of NET PATIENT REVENUE (not gross revenue). Both figures come from the same cost-report year. A higher figure means more of each revenue dollar goes to staff pay. Read with the Staffing star rating to judge whether spend translates into coverage — and note that homes whose patient revenue covers only part of their operation can read implausibly high. The South Dakota average is: 58.6% Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
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CMS Certification Number: the unique federal identifier for this skilled nursing provider.
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| Custer Care and Rehab Center | NH HOS RC SNF | Custer | 35
Facility
35
SD AVG
71
Rank
#65 / 70 | - | - | - | ? | - | - | $0
Facility
$0
SD AVG
$38.5k
Rank
#1 / 67 | - | - | - | 27 | - |
49
Facility
49
SD AVG
43
Rank
#31 / 73 | - | - | - | - | 43A140 | ||||
| Avantara Norton | - | NH HOS SNF | Sioux Falls | 110
Facility
110
SD AVG
71
Rank
#6 / 70 |
88.9%
Facility
88.9%
SD AVG
84%
Rank
#18 / 33 | +6% | 3.53
Facility
3.53
SD AVG
4.34
Rank
#41 / 65 | D+ | - | - | - | +53% | -19% | $153.6k
Facility
$153.6k
SD AVG
$38.5k
Rank
#63 / 67 | 75
Facility
75
SD AVG
14.8
Rank
#64 / 65 | 4.0
Facility
4.0
SD AVG
3.3
Rank
#42 / 65 | 19 | 98 | - |
61
Facility
61
SD AVG
43
Rank
#19 / 73 | Jeremy Klinkhammer | $10.3MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$10.3MFiscal year ending 12/2023
SD AVG
$7.1M
Rank
#7 / 58 | $4.4MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$4.4MFiscal year ending 12/2023
SD AVG
$4.2M
Rank
#19 / 58 | 42.4%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
42.4%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
SD AVG
58.6%
Rank
#57 / 58 | 435039 |
| Avantara Huron | - | NH MC SNF | Sw Huron | 80
Facility
80
SD AVG
71
Rank
#23 / 70 | - | - | - | ? | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
68
Facility
68
SD AVG
43
Rank
#12 / 73 | $1.5M*Fiscal year ending 12/2022These figures are from this home's most recent complete cost report — an older period than most facilities report. Compare with that in mind. | $1.2M*Fiscal year ending 12/2022These figures are from this home's most recent complete cost report — an older period than most facilities report. Compare with that in mind. | 80.6%*Fiscal year ending 12/2022These figures are from this home's most recent complete cost report — an older period than most facilities report. Compare with that in mind. | 435057 |
Rank badges are statewide and care-type specific: each nursing home is ranked against every other SD nursing home we track that reports that metric, not just the 71 on this page. See how we rank facilities
Golden Living Center, Groton offers nursing home care, hospice care, and skilled nursing in Groton, South Dakota. Skilled nursing means licensed nursing care is available on site around the clock, while hospice care supports residents at the end of life.
The community may be a good fit for someone who needs ongoing nursing oversight or hospice support. Details about beds, pricing, payment options, amenities, staffing, leadership, and inspection themes are not included.
Every nursing home above is evaluated across five weighted categories using CMS data including Care Compare, Payroll-Based Journal, and Medicare Cost Reports. Rank badges compare each home against other nursing homes in the same state — never against assisted living, memory care, or independent living communities.
The largest single share of every ranking. CMS star ratings and quality measures that reflect actual care delivered to residents.
The strongest predictor of resident outcomes. Volume and stability of nursing care, drawn from CMS Payroll-Based Journal.
Inspection patterns that star ratings can mask. We weight per-inspection rates more heavily than raw counts.
Stable operations and sound finances are leading indicators of consistent care over time.
Context that matters to families but doesn't directly measure clinical care. Weighted lower for nursing homes than for assisted or independent living.
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Assisted living in South Dakota is a residential model focused on housing, hospitality, and help with daily activities. Nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities) provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses for residents with significant health needs, and are regulated more strictly under both state and federal CMS rules.
Yes — South Dakota Medicaid covers nursing home care for residents who meet income, asset, and medical-need eligibility requirements. Most CMS-certified nursing homes accept Medicaid as a primary payer once long-term-care eligibility is established.
Nursing homes (also called skilled nursing facilities) provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses, rehabilitation services, and long-term custodial care for residents with significant health or functional needs.
This page features 71 nursing homes in South Dakota. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.
Start by matching the level of care offered to the resident's current and anticipated needs, then compare licensing status, staff-to-resident ratios, recent inspection results, and pricing. Tour at least two or three communities in South Dakota, talk to current residents and families, and confirm what is included in the base rate versus billed as add-on services.
Pay attention to staff interactions with residents, cleanliness and odor, food quality at meal times, the activity calendar, and how questions about pricing and care plans are answered. Ask to see the most recent state inspection report, the move-out / level-of-care-change policy, and a sample monthly bill that lists every fee.
