Health Profile of Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City 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
Rapid City Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.5% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.4% | 13.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rapid City is 78.0 years, about 2.0 years shorter than the South Dakota average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 11.5%, higher than the South Dakota average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.4% of residents, lower than the South Dakota average of 13.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
22,618 residents in Rapid City are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,559 500 men · 1,060 women
- 75–84 3,192 1,371 men · 1,821 women
- 65–74 6,420 3,157 men · 3,264 women
- 50–64 11,446 5,568 men · 5,878 women
Younger residents
12,759 residents in Rapid City are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,699 1,961 boys · 1,737 girls
- 7–12 3,596 1,844 boys · 1,752 girls
- 3–7 3,065 1,502 boys · 1,563 girls
- 0–3 2,399 1,164 boys · 1,236 girls
About 3,618 residents in Rapid City (5.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.5% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.9% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.7% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Rapid City are about the same as in South Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.2% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.9% | 18.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.9% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Rapid City are about the same as in South Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 100,095 cigarettes a day, 3.0 million a month, or 36.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 401.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rapid City is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.81 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 | Rapid City | South Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.48 | 4.61 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rapid City is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rapid City, 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 Rapid City, South Dakota.
What is the health grade for Rapid City, South Dakota?
Rapid City, 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.
What is the average lifespan in Rapid City, South Dakota?
People in Rapid City, South Dakota can expect to live 78.0 years on average, 2.0 years shorter than the South Dakota average of 79.9.
How many people lack health insurance in Rapid City, South Dakota?
11.5% of residents in Rapid City, South Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 2.5 points above the South Dakota rate of 9.0%.
What percentage of Rapid City, South Dakota residents are obese?
33.7% of adults in Rapid City, South Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.2 points below the South Dakota rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rapid City, South Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 100,095 cigarettes a day, 3.0 million a month, or 36.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 401.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rapid City is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.81 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 →