Health Profile of Meade County, South Dakota
Meade 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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A
Meade County Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in South Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.4% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 9.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Meade County is 81.0 years, about 1.1 years longer than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 9.4%, higher than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 9.4% of residents, lower than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,166 residents in Meade County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 509 181 men · 328 women
- 75–84 1,262 564 men · 698 women
- 65–74 2,694 1,334 men · 1,360 women
- 50–64 5,701 2,974 men · 2,727 women
Younger residents
6,507 residents in Meade County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,019 1,106 boys · 914 girls
- 7–12 2,005 1,010 boys · 995 girls
- 3–7 1,474 738 boys · 736 girls
- 0–3 1,008 548 boys · 461 girls
About 886 residents in Meade County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.8% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.2% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.9% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.0% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Meade County is about 37% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of diabetes in Meade County is about 36% lower than in South Dakota. The rate of cancer in Meade County is about 32% lower than in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.1% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.3% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.2% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Meade County is about 20% lower than in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 41,111 cigarettes a day, 1.2 million a month, or 15.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 452,226 minutes a day and 165.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Meade County is 81.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.88 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 | Meade County | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.19 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Meade County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Meade County, SD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Meade County, SD is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 30,546 residents against a local median of 10,676. The measure that sets Meade County, SD apart most is obesity: 28.0%, 17% below the local median of 33.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 19.6% on obesity, so Meade County, SD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Meade County, SD has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County, SD | 30,546 | 81.0 yrs #2/6 | 9.4% #2/6 | 28.0% #2/6 |
| Pennington County, SD | 113,512 | 79.3 yrs | 10.2% | 33.2% |
| Butte County, SD | 10,676 | 81.9 yrs | 11.5% | 34.8% |
| Perkins County, SD | 3,001 | 78.2 yrs | 10.7% | 33.7% |
| Lawrence County, SD | 27,233 | 79.0 yrs | 8.9% | 27.7% |
| Ziebach County, SD | 2,377 | 75.2 yrs | 26.0% | 47.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Meade County, South Dakota has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than South Dakota, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Meade County, South Dakota.
Is Meade County, South Dakota a healthy place to live?
Meade County, South Dakota has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Meade County, South Dakota one of the healthiest counties in South Dakota?
Meade County ranks 4th 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 Meade County, South Dakota?
People in Meade County, South Dakota can expect to live 81.0 years on average, 1.1 years longer than the South Dakota average of 79.9.
What percentage of Meade County, South Dakota residents are uninsured?
9.4% of residents in Meade County, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, about the same as the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Meade County, South Dakota?
28.0% of adults in Meade County, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 6.9 points below the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Meade County, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 41,111 cigarettes a day, 1.2 million a month, or 15.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 452,226 minutes a day and 165.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Meade County is 81.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.88 lifetimes a year.
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