Health Profile of Dewey County, South Dakota
Dewey 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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D
Dewey County Well below averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 21.2% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.8% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Dewey County is 78.8 years, about 1.1 years shorter than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 21.2%, higher than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.8% of residents, higher than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,305 residents in Dewey County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 32 11 men · 20 women
- 75–84 164 75 men · 89 women
- 65–74 313 149 men · 164 women
- 50–64 796 399 men · 396 women
Younger residents
1,812 residents in Dewey County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 510 248 boys · 263 girls
- 7–12 529 278 boys · 251 girls
- 3–7 439 240 boys · 199 girls
- 0–3 334 174 boys · 159 girls
About 126 residents in Dewey County (2.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.0% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.6% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.5% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 44.5% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Dewey County is about 42% higher than in South Dakota. The rate of obesity in Dewey County is about 28% higher than in South Dakota. The rate of cancer in Dewey County is about 26% lower than in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 31.3% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.9% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.4% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Dewey County is about 57% higher than in South Dakota. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Dewey County is about 28% higher than in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,044 cigarettes a day, 301,324 a month, or 3.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 110,485 minutes a day and 40.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dewey County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.97 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 | Dewey County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.22 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Dewey County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Dewey County, SD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Dewey County, SD is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,205 residents against a local median of 3,015. The measure that sets Dewey County, SD apart most is uninsured: 21.2%, 100% above the local median of 10.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 44.6% against a local median of 34.2%, 30% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Dewey County, SD reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 22.5% on uninsured, so Dewey County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dewey County, SD has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey County, SD | 5,205 | 78.8 yrs #3/6 | 21.2% #5/6 | 44.6% #5/6 |
| Corson County, SD | 3,806 | 78.5 yrs | 16.9% | 42.7% |
| Stanley County, SD | 3,015 | 80.9 yrs | 3.4% | 34.2% |
| Ziebach County, SD | 2,377 | 75.2 yrs | 26.0% | 47.3% |
| Sully County, SD | 1,526 | 79.4 yrs | 6.6% | 34.0% |
| Walworth County, SD | 5,271 | 78.6 yrs | 10.6% | 32.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dewey County, South Dakota has an overall health index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than South Dakota, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Dewey County, South Dakota.
What is the health grade for Dewey County, South Dakota?
Dewey County, South 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 Dewey County, South Dakota one of the healthiest counties in South Dakota?
Dewey County ranks 57th 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.
How long do people live in Dewey County, South Dakota?
People in Dewey County, South Dakota can expect to live 78.8 years on average, 1.1 years shorter than the South Dakota average of 79.9.
What percentage of Dewey County, South Dakota residents are uninsured?
21.2% of residents in Dewey County, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 5 people, 12.2 points above the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What percentage of Dewey County, South Dakota residents are obese?
44.6% of adults in Dewey County, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 9.7 points above the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
What is the biggest health concern in Dewey County, South Dakota?
Compared with South Dakota as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 31.3%, about 57% higher than the South Dakota rate of 19.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Dewey County, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,044 cigarettes a day, 301,324 a month, or 3.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 110,485 minutes a day and 40.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dewey County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.97 lifetimes a year.
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