Health Profile of Custer County, Montana
Custer County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Custer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Custer County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.7% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.5% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Custer County is 76.8 years, about 2.2 years shorter than the Montana average of 79.0 years. The uninsured rate is 7.7%, lower than the Montana average of 8.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.5% of residents, lower than the Montana average of 14.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,844 residents in Custer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 272 88 men · 184 women
- 75–84 776 353 men · 423 women
- 65–74 1,297 624 men · 673 women
- 50–64 2,499 1,287 men · 1,212 women
Younger residents
2,361 residents in Custer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 729 382 boys · 347 girls
- 7–12 702 364 boys · 338 girls
- 3–7 541 276 boys · 264 girls
- 0–3 390 203 boys · 187 girls
About 888 residents in Custer County (7.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Custer County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.7% | 10.8% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.6% | 7.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.1% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.5% | 31.4% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Custer County are about the same as in Montana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Custer County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.1% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.7% | 19.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.8% | 22.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Custer County are about the same as in Montana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,418 cigarettes a day, 492,526 a month, or 6.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 180,593 minutes a day and 65.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Custer County is 76.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.63 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Custer County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.42 | 4.05 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Custer County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Custer County, MT Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Custer County, MT is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 11,960 residents against a local median of 2,760. The measure that sets Custer County, MT apart most is uninsured: 7.7%, 18% above the local median of 6.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 13.1% on uninsured, so Custer County, MT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Custer County, MT has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, MT | 11,960 | 76.8 yrs #6/6 | 7.7% #5/6 | 33.5% #4/6 |
| Prairie County, MT | 1,249 | 77.9 yrs | 4.7% | 31.0% |
| Powder River County, MT | 1,815 | 77.9 yrs | 7.6% | 28.4% |
| Fallon County, MT | 2,760 | 79.1 yrs | 3.1% | 26.8% |
| Rosebud County, MT | 8,165 | 79.5 yrs | 16.2% | 35.9% |
| Dawson County, MT | 8,827 | 80.4 yrs | 6.6% | 33.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Custer County, Montana has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Montana, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Custer County, Montana.
Is Custer County, Montana a healthy place to live?
Custer County, Montana has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Custer County, Montana one of the healthiest counties in Montana?
Custer County ranks 24th healthiest out of 53 counties in Montana by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Custer County, Montana?
People in Custer County, Montana can expect to live 76.8 years on average, 2.2 years shorter than the Montana average of 79.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Custer County, Montana?
7.7% of residents in Custer County, Montana have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 0.9 points below the Montana rate of 8.6%.
What percentage of Custer County, Montana residents are obese?
33.5% of adults in Custer County, Montana are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.1 points above the Montana rate of 31.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Custer County, Montana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,418 cigarettes a day, 492,526 a month, or 6.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 180,593 minutes a day and 65.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Custer County is 76.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.63 lifetimes a year.
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