Health Profile of Dakota County, Nebraska
Dakota 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
Dakota County Around averageLess healthy than 94% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.1% | 7.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.0% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Dakota County is 78.3 years, about 1.2 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5 years. The uninsured rate is 8.1%, higher than the Nebraska average of 7.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.0% of residents, higher than the Nebraska average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,132 residents in Dakota County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 337 100 men · 237 women
- 75–84 749 356 men · 393 women
- 65–74 1,497 708 men · 789 women
- 50–64 3,549 1,794 men · 1,755 women
Younger residents
5,952 residents in Dakota County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,700 905 boys · 795 girls
- 7–12 1,766 880 boys · 885 girls
- 3–7 1,418 677 boys · 742 girls
- 0–3 1,067 492 boys · 575 girls
About 781 residents in Dakota County (3.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.2% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.2% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Dakota County is about 28% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of heart disease in Dakota County is about 19% lower than in Nebraska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.5% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.6% | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.3% | 24.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Dakota County is about 21% higher than in Nebraska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 26,425 cigarettes a day, 792,751 a month, or 9.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 290,675 minutes a day and 106.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dakota County is 78.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.58 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 | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.10 | 5.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Dakota County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Dakota County, NE Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Dakota County, NE is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 21,354 residents against a local median of 17,081. Dakota County, NE sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 11% above the local median at 8.1% against 7.3%. Dakota County, NE has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota County, NE | 21,354 | 78.3 yrs #5/6 | 8.1% #4/6 | 39.2% #5/6 |
| Thurston County, NE | 6,627 | 81.7 yrs | 9.4% | 43.4% |
| Dixon County, NE | 5,545 | 80.6 yrs | 9.2% | 38.8% |
| Union County, SD | 17,081 | 80.7 yrs | 5.1% | 37.7% |
| Plymouth County, IA | 25,747 | 80.8 yrs | 5.3% | 33.7% |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | 77.5 yrs | 7.3% | 38.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dakota County, Nebraska has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Nebraska, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Dakota County, Nebraska.
How healthy is Dakota County, Nebraska?
Dakota County, Nebraska 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 Dakota County, Nebraska one of the healthiest counties in Nebraska?
Dakota County ranks 79th healthiest out of 84 counties in Nebraska by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Dakota County, Nebraska?
People in Dakota County, Nebraska can expect to live 78.3 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5.
What percentage of Dakota County, Nebraska residents are uninsured?
8.1% of residents in Dakota County, Nebraska have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.0 points above the Nebraska rate of 7.2%.
What percentage of Dakota County, Nebraska residents are obese?
39.2% of adults in Dakota County, Nebraska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.0 points above the Nebraska rate of 36.1%.
What is the biggest health concern in Dakota County, Nebraska?
Compared with Nebraska as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 29.3%, about 21% higher than the Nebraska rate of 24.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Dakota County, Nebraska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 26,425 cigarettes a day, 792,751 a month, or 9.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 290,675 minutes a day and 106.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dakota County is 78.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.58 lifetimes a year.
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