Health Profile of North Dakota
North Dakota 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
North Dakota Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in North Dakota
- Burleigh County (103% of U.S. avg)
- Steele County (103% of U.S. avg)
- Cass County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Sioux County (91% of U.S. avg)
- Rolette County (93% of U.S. avg)
- Benson County (94% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | North Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in North Dakota is 79.4 years, about 1.1 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.5%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.3% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
255,780 residents in North Dakota are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 17,956 6,616 men · 11,341 women
- 75–84 37,316 16,525 men · 20,791 women
- 65–74 65,680 32,330 men · 33,350 women
- 50–64 134,828 68,318 men · 66,510 women
Younger residents
177,419 residents in North Dakota are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 51,127 26,278 boys · 24,849 girls
- 7–12 52,633 27,127 boys · 25,505 girls
- 3–7 42,318 21,803 boys · 20,514 girls
- 0–3 31,342 16,088 boys · 15,254 girls
About 36,020 residents in North Dakota (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | North Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in North Dakota is about 19% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | North Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in North Dakota are about the same as in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 33.6 million a month, or 409.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.3 million minutes a day and 4.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in North Dakota is 79.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.30 lifetimes a day, or 108 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 | North Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in North Dakota is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
North Dakota Health Compared With Nearby States
North Dakota is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 784,730 residents against a local median of 1,978,686. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes North Dakota an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 10% below the local median at 6.5% against 7.2%. North Dakota has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 784,730 | 79.4 yrs #5/6 | 6.5% #3/6 | 35.3% #4/6 |
| South Dakota | 907,403 | 79.9 yrs | 9.0% | 34.9% |
| Nebraska | 1,978,686 | 79.5 yrs | 7.2% | 36.1% |
| Minnesota | 5,724,000 | 80.8 yrs | 4.7% | 34.5% |
| Wyoming | 582,314 | 80.3 yrs | 11.3% | 31.9% |
| Iowa | 3,204,793 | 79.2 yrs | 5.0% | 37.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, North Dakota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in North Dakota.
What is the health grade for North Dakota?
North Dakota 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 North Dakota one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
North Dakota ranks 27th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in North Dakota?
People in North Dakota can expect to live 79.4 years on average, 1.1 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
What is the uninsured rate in North Dakota?
6.5% of residents in North Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 1.9 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
How common is obesity in North Dakota?
35.3% of adults in North Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.0 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in North Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 33.6 million a month, or 409.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.3 million minutes a day and 4.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in North Dakota is 79.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.30 lifetimes a day, or 108 lifetimes a year.
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