Health Profile of South Dakota
South Dakota 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
South Dakota Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in South Dakota
- Brookings County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Lincoln County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Clay County (103% of U.S. avg)
- Todd County (91% of U.S. avg)
- Buffalo County (91% of U.S. avg)
- Mellette County (92% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | South Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in South Dakota is 79.9 years, about 1.6 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 9.0%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.8% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
311,289 residents in South Dakota are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 19,401 6,293 men · 13,108 women
- 75–84 43,845 19,746 men · 24,099 women
- 65–74 83,618 41,310 men · 42,309 women
- 50–64 164,425 82,489 men · 81,936 women
Younger residents
213,811 residents in South Dakota are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 65,892 34,019 boys · 31,873 girls
- 7–12 64,354 32,610 boys · 31,744 girls
- 3–7 48,592 24,430 boys · 24,162 girls
- 0–3 34,973 17,677 boys · 17,296 girls
About 37,462 residents in South Dakota (4.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | South Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in South Dakota are about the same as in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | South Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in South Dakota are about the same as in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.4 million cigarettes a day, 41.0 million a month, or 499.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 15.0 million minutes a day and 5.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in South Dakota is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.36 lifetimes a day, or 131 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 | South Dakota | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in South Dakota is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
South Dakota Health Compared With Nearby States
South Dakota is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 907,403 residents against a local median of 2,945,842. South Dakota's uninsured, at 9.0%, runs 39% above the 6.5% typical of the states around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 4.1% on uninsured, so South Dakota sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. South Dakota has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 907,403 | 79.9 yrs #2/6 | 9.0% #6/6 | 34.9% #2/6 |
| Nebraska | 1,978,686 | 79.5 yrs | 7.2% | 36.1% |
| North Dakota | 784,730 | 79.4 yrs | 6.5% | 35.3% |
| Kansas | 2,945,842 | 78.6 yrs | 8.8% | 37.3% |
| Minnesota | 5,724,000 | 80.8 yrs | 4.7% | 34.5% |
| Iowa | 3,204,793 | 79.2 yrs | 5.0% | 37.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, South Dakota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in South Dakota.
Is South Dakota a healthy place to live?
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 South Dakota one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
South Dakota ranks 26th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in South Dakota?
People in South Dakota can expect to live 79.9 years on average, 1.6 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in South Dakota?
9.0% of residents in South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 0.6 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
What is the obesity rate in South Dakota?
34.9% of adults in South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.6 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.4 million cigarettes a day, 41.0 million a month, or 499.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 15.0 million minutes a day and 5.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in South Dakota is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.36 lifetimes a day, or 131 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 →