Health Profile of Custer County, South Dakota
Custer 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
Custer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Custer County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.8% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.5% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Custer County is 80.2 years, about 0.2 years longer than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 10.8%, higher than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.5% of residents, lower than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,962 residents in Custer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 181 66 men · 115 women
- 75–84 715 351 men · 365 women
- 65–74 1,663 863 men · 800 women
- 50–64 2,402 1,151 men · 1,252 women
Younger residents
1,278 residents in Custer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 416 219 boys · 198 girls
- 7–12 367 189 boys · 178 girls
- 3–7 288 152 boys · 136 girls
- 0–3 207 106 boys · 101 girls
About 442 residents in Custer County (5.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Custer County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.7% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.7% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.3% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Custer County are about the same as in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Custer County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.5% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.3% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.1% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Custer County are about the same as in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 13,379 cigarettes a day, 401,356 a month, or 4.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 147,164 minutes a day and 53.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Custer County is 80.2 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 | Custer County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.13 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Custer County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Custer County, SD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Custer County, SD is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 8,892 residents against a local median of 17,686. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Custer County, SD an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 10% above the local median at 34.3% against 31.2%. Custer County, SD has the 4th lowest obesity of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, SD | 8,892 | 80.2 yrs #2/5 | 10.8% #4/5 | 34.3% #4/5 |
| Fall River County, SD | 7,258 | 76.8 yrs | 13.2% | 35.3% |
| Pennington County, SD | 113,512 | 79.3 yrs | 10.2% | 33.2% |
| Lawrence County, SD | 27,233 | 79.0 yrs | 8.9% | 27.7% |
| Dawes County, NE | 8,140 | 82.2 yrs | 9.6% | 29.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Custer County, South Dakota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than South Dakota, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Custer County, South Dakota.
Is Custer County, South Dakota a healthy place to live?
Custer County, South 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 Custer County, South Dakota one of the healthiest counties in South Dakota?
Custer County ranks 40th healthiest out of 62 counties in South 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 Custer County, South Dakota?
People in Custer County, South Dakota can expect to live 80.2 years on average, about the same as the South Dakota average of 79.9.
How many people lack health insurance in Custer County, South Dakota?
10.8% of residents in Custer County, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.8 points above the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What percentage of Custer County, South Dakota residents are obese?
34.3% of adults in Custer County, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.5 points below the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Custer County, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 13,379 cigarettes a day, 401,356 a month, or 4.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 147,164 minutes a day and 53.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Custer County is 80.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.28 lifetimes a year.
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