Health Profile of Lawrence County, South Dakota
Lawrence 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
Lawrence County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.9% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.1% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lawrence County is 79.0 years, about 0.9 years shorter than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 8.9%, lower than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.1% of residents, lower than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
11,277 residents in Lawrence County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 651 234 men · 417 women
- 75–84 1,707 756 men · 951 women
- 65–74 3,290 1,650 men · 1,640 women
- 50–64 5,629 2,840 men · 2,789 women
Younger residents
4,539 residents in Lawrence County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,640 820 boys · 820 girls
- 7–12 1,322 679 boys · 643 girls
- 3–7 904 482 boys · 422 girls
- 0–3 672 348 boys · 324 girls
About 1,622 residents in Lawrence County (6.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.7% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Lawrence County is about 21% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of diabetes in Lawrence County is about 19% lower than in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.5% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.7% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.0% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Lawrence County is about 17% lower than in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 39,840 cigarettes a day, 1.2 million a month, or 14.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 438,235 minutes a day and 160.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lawrence County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.85 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 | Lawrence County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.92 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lawrence County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Lawrence County, SD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lawrence County, SD is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 27,233 residents against a local median of 8,892. Lawrence County, SD's uninsured, at 8.9%, runs 22% below the 11.4% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 27.7% against a local median of 33.2%, 16% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Lawrence County, SD is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 3.6% on uninsured, so Lawrence County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lawrence County, SD has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, SD | 27,233 | 79.0 yrs #5/6 | 8.9% #1/6 | 27.7% #1/6 |
| Butte County, SD | 10,676 | 81.9 yrs | 11.5% | 34.8% |
| Custer County, SD | 8,892 | 80.2 yrs | 10.8% | 34.3% |
| Crook County, WY | 7,442 | 87.1 yrs | 11.4% | 32.6% |
| Weston County, WY | 6,826 | 78.8 yrs | 13.8% | 32.5% |
| Pennington County, SD | 113,512 | 79.3 yrs | 10.2% | 33.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, South Dakota.
How healthy is Lawrence County, South Dakota?
Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, South Dakota one of the healthiest counties in South Dakota?
Lawrence County ranks 22nd 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 Lawrence County, South Dakota?
People in Lawrence County, South Dakota can expect to live 79.0 years on average, 0.9 years shorter than the South Dakota average of 79.9.
What is the uninsured rate in Lawrence County, South Dakota?
8.9% of residents in Lawrence County, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, about the same as the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What percentage of Lawrence County, South Dakota residents are obese?
27.7% of adults in Lawrence County, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 7.2 points below the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lawrence County, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 39,840 cigarettes a day, 1.2 million a month, or 14.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 438,235 minutes a day and 160.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lawrence County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.85 lifetimes a year.
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