Health Profile of Brookings County, South Dakota
Brookings 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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A
Brookings County Above averageHealthiest county in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Brookings County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.1% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 8.7% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Brookings County is 80.0 years, about 0.1 years longer than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 5.1%, lower than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 8.7% of residents, lower than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,875 residents in Brookings County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 507 208 men · 299 women
- 75–84 1,355 586 men · 770 women
- 65–74 2,334 1,158 men · 1,176 women
- 50–64 4,679 2,358 men · 2,321 women
Younger residents
6,874 residents in Brookings County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,929 994 boys · 935 girls
- 7–12 2,054 1,041 boys · 1,013 girls
- 3–7 1,672 794 boys · 878 girls
- 0–3 1,219 557 boys · 662 girls
About 1,030 residents in Brookings County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Brookings County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.3% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.0% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.4% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.0% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Brookings County is about 43% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of diabetes in Brookings County is about 41% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of cancer in Brookings County is about 34% lower than in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Brookings County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 12.9% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 22.1% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.5% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Brookings County is about 35% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Brookings County is about 23% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of binge drinking in Brookings County is about 17% higher than in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 35,988 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 395,869 minutes a day and 144.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Brookings County is 80.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.44 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 | Brookings County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.51 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Brookings County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Brookings County, SD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Brookings County, SD is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 35,353 residents against a local median of 6,373. The measure that sets Brookings County, SD apart most is uninsured: 5.1%, 26% below the local median of 6.9%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 7.0% on uninsured, so Brookings County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brookings County, SD has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookings County, SD | 35,353 | 80.0 yrs #5/6 | 5.1% #2/6 | 30.0% #1/6 |
| Moody County, SD | 6,397 | 77.2 yrs | 11.0% | 32.3% |
| Deuel County, SD | 4,328 | 83.6 yrs | 6.9% | 33.9% |
| Lake County, SD | 10,972 | 83.5 yrs | 4.0% | 31.9% |
| Hamlin County, SD | 6,373 | 81.7 yrs | 7.7% | 32.2% |
| Lincoln County, MN | 5,603 | 81.3 yrs | 5.5% | 31.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Brookings County, South Dakota has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than South Dakota, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Brookings County, South Dakota.
How healthy is Brookings County, South Dakota?
Brookings County, South Dakota has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Brookings County, South Dakota one of the healthiest counties in South Dakota?
Yes. Brookings County ranks 1st of 62 counties in South Dakota by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
What is the average lifespan in Brookings County, South Dakota?
People in Brookings County, South Dakota can expect to live 80.0 years on average, about the same as the South Dakota average of 79.9.
What percentage of Brookings County, South Dakota residents are uninsured?
5.1% of residents in Brookings County, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 3.9 points below the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What percentage of Brookings County, South Dakota residents are obese?
30.0% of adults in Brookings County, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.9 points below the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Brookings County, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 35,988 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 395,869 minutes a day and 144.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Brookings County is 80.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.44 lifetimes a year.
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