Health Profile of Hand County, South Dakota
Hand 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.
-
B
Hand County Around averageHealthier than 82% of counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Hand County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.2 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.0% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.2% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Hand County is 81.3 years, about 1.3 years longer than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 5.0%, lower than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.2% of residents, lower than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,410 residents in Hand County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 148 62 men · 86 women
- 75–84 266 117 men · 149 women
- 65–74 357 175 men · 182 women
- 50–64 639 354 men · 285 women
Younger residents
670 residents in Hand County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 215 105 boys · 110 girls
- 7–12 203 100 boys · 104 girls
- 3–7 147 71 boys · 76 girls
- 0–3 105 49 boys · 56 girls
About 246 residents in Hand County (7.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Hand County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.9% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.2% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.2% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Hand County is about 21% higher than in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Hand County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.2% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.7% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.1% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Hand County is about 23% lower than in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3,578 cigarettes a day, 107,338 a month, or 1.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 39,357 minutes a day and 14.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Hand County is 81.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.34 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 | Hand County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.61 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Hand County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Hand County, SD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Hand County, SD is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 3,140 residents against a local median of 1,808. The measure that sets Hand County, SD apart most is uninsured: 5.0%, 21% below the local median of 6.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 39.6% on uninsured, so Hand County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hand County, SD has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand County, SD | 3,140 | 81.3 yrs #2/6 | 5.0% #2/6 | 32.3% #2/6 |
| Hyde County, SD | 1,191 | 80.8 yrs | 6.1% | 31.5% |
| Buffalo County, SD | 1,808 | 74.8 yrs | 43.0% | 42.3% |
| Faulk County, SD | 2,126 | 81.8 yrs | 6.3% | 32.8% |
| Jerauld County, SD | 1,772 | 80.5 yrs | 3.4% | 32.4% |
| Beadle County, SD | 19,309 | 78.8 yrs | 7.4% | 35.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Hand 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 Hand County, South Dakota.
Is Hand County, South Dakota a healthy place to live?
Hand 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 Hand County, South Dakota one of the healthiest counties in South Dakota?
Hand County ranks 12th 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 average lifespan in Hand County, South Dakota?
People in Hand County, South Dakota can expect to live 81.3 years on average, 1.3 years longer than the South Dakota average of 79.9.
What percentage of Hand County, South Dakota residents are uninsured?
5.0% of residents in Hand County, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 4.0 points below the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What percentage of Hand County, South Dakota residents are obese?
32.3% of adults in Hand County, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.6 points below the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Hand County, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3,578 cigarettes a day, 107,338 a month, or 1.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 39,357 minutes a day and 14.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Hand County is 81.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.34 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →