Health Profile of Dawson County, Montana
Dawson 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.
-
B
Dawson County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Dawson County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.6% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.9% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Dawson County is 80.4 years, about 1.4 years longer than the Montana average of 79.0 years. The uninsured rate is 6.6%, lower than the Montana average of 8.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.9% of residents, lower than the Montana average of 14.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,548 residents in Dawson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 175 59 men · 117 women
- 75–84 588 266 men · 322 women
- 65–74 924 462 men · 461 women
- 50–64 1,861 977 men · 884 women
Younger residents
1,771 residents in Dawson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 581 300 boys · 281 girls
- 7–12 528 264 boys · 264 girls
- 3–7 382 193 boys · 189 girls
- 0–3 280 146 boys · 135 girls
About 396 residents in Dawson County (4.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Dawson County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.0% | 10.8% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.6% | 7.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.1% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.9% | 31.4% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Dawson County are about the same as in Montana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Dawson County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.3% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.1% | 19.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.0% | 22.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Dawson County are about the same as in Montana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 11,986 cigarettes a day, 359,594 a month, or 4.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 131,851 minutes a day and 48.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dawson County is 80.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.14 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 | Dawson County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.97 | 4.05 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Dawson County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Dawson County, MT Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Dawson County, MT is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 8,827 residents against a local median of 1,669. The measure that sets Dawson County, MT apart most is uninsured: 6.6%, 24% above the local median of 5.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 20.4% on uninsured, so Dawson County, MT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dawson County, MT has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, MT | 8,827 | 80.4 yrs #2/6 | 6.6% #5/6 | 33.9% #4/6 |
| Richland County, MT | 11,232 | 78.2 yrs | 4.7% | 36.4% |
| Prairie County, MT | 1,249 | 77.9 yrs | 4.7% | 31.0% |
| Wibaux County, MT | 1,193 | 77.9 yrs | 6.5% | 30.5% |
| McCone County, MT | 1,669 | 81.8 yrs | 5.3% | 30.3% |
| Roosevelt County, MT | 10,526 | 75.8 yrs | 25.2% | 37.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dawson 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 Dawson County, Montana.
Is Dawson County, Montana a healthy place to live?
Dawson 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 Dawson County, Montana one of the healthiest counties in Montana?
Dawson County ranks 19th 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 Dawson County, Montana?
People in Dawson County, Montana can expect to live 80.4 years on average, 1.4 years longer than the Montana average of 79.0.
What percentage of Dawson County, Montana residents are uninsured?
6.6% of residents in Dawson County, Montana have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 2.0 points below the Montana rate of 8.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Dawson County, Montana?
33.9% of adults in Dawson County, Montana are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.5 points above the Montana rate of 31.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Dawson County, Montana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 11,986 cigarettes a day, 359,594 a month, or 4.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 131,851 minutes a day and 48.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dawson County is 80.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.14 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →