Health Profile of Benson County, North Dakota
Benson 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.
-
D
Benson County Well below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in North Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Benson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 71.8 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.4% | 6.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.8% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Benson County is 71.8 years, about 7.6 years shorter than the North Dakota average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 10.4%, higher than the North Dakota average of 6.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.8% of residents, higher than the North Dakota average of 14.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,841 residents in Benson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 74 33 men · 41 women
- 75–84 246 132 men · 114 women
- 65–74 498 238 men · 260 women
- 50–64 1,023 527 men · 496 women
Younger residents
1,824 residents in Benson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 537 274 boys · 263 girls
- 7–12 524 267 boys · 257 girls
- 3–7 432 217 boys · 215 girls
- 0–3 332 170 boys · 161 girls
About 456 residents in Benson County (7.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 71.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Benson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.2% | 11.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.5% | 8.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.9% | 8.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.9% | 35.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Benson County is about 34% higher than in North Dakota. The rate of cancer in Benson County is about 22% lower than in North Dakota. The rate of obesity in Benson County is about 19% higher than in North Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Benson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 31.1% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.0% | 18.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.7% | 26.6% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Benson County is about 67% higher than in North Dakota. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Benson County is about 27% higher than in North Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 12,020 cigarettes a day, 360,594 a month, or 4.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 132,218 minutes a day and 48.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Benson County is 71.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.28 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 | Benson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.25 | 4.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Benson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Benson County, ND Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Benson County, ND is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,808 residents against a local median of 3,890. Benson County, ND's uninsured, at 10.4%, runs 114% above the 4.9% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 41.9% against a local median of 35.8%, 17% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Benson County, ND reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 4.5% on uninsured, so Benson County, ND sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benson County, ND has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson County, ND | 5,808 | 71.8 yrs #6/6 | 10.4% #6/6 | 41.9% #6/6 |
| Wells County, ND | 3,890 | 78.8 yrs | 3.7% | 33.8% |
| Eddy County, ND | 2,307 | 72.2 yrs | 4.9% | 36.7% |
| Towner County, ND | 2,079 | 79.4 yrs | 4.6% | 37.1% |
| Pierce County, ND | 3,928 | 78.1 yrs | 7.8% | 35.8% |
| Ramsey County, ND | 11,556 | 78.2 yrs | 8.3% | 32.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Benson County, North Dakota has an overall health index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than North Dakota, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Benson County, North Dakota.
What is the health grade for Benson County, North Dakota?
Benson County, North Dakota has a Map AI Health Index grade of D, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a D grade means residents face somewhat worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
Is Benson County, North Dakota one of the healthiest counties in North Dakota?
Benson County ranks 50th healthiest out of 52 counties in North Dakota by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Benson County, North Dakota?
People in Benson County, North Dakota can expect to live 71.8 years on average, 7.6 years shorter than the North Dakota average of 79.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Benson County, North Dakota?
10.4% of residents in Benson County, North Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 4.0 points above the North Dakota rate of 6.5%.
What percentage of Benson County, North Dakota residents are obese?
41.9% of adults in Benson County, North Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 6.6 points above the North Dakota rate of 35.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Benson County, North Dakota?
Compared with North Dakota as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 31.1%, about 67% higher than the North Dakota rate of 18.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Benson County, North Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 12,020 cigarettes a day, 360,594 a month, or 4.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 132,218 minutes a day and 48.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Benson County is 71.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.28 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 →