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State Profile

South Dakota

Population (2024): 889,100 thousand

On measures of public health outcomes and emergency preparedness South Dakota generally scores lower than other states. According to TFAH’s 2025 Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, the state placed in the low performance tier for public health emergency preparedness. Deaths within the state due to drug misuse, alcohol, or suicide are higher than the average for other states. Based on 2024 data, the percentage of adults with obesity and hypertension are higher than the U.S. median., The rates of diabetes are similar to the U.S. median.

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State Related News

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Dec 2025 New Report Examines State Policies that Support Good Health and Analyzes the Legislative Landscape for their Implementation
Nov 2025 Statement from J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health on Changes to CDC Webpage on Vaccines and Autism:
Sep 2025 The Number of People in the U.S. Serving as Informal Caregivers is Growing, Yet Support and Assistance for Them is Shrinking, According to New Policy Brief

South Dakota at a glance

29.7

Alcohol-related deaths (per 100,000), 2023

11.2

Drug-related deaths (per 100,000), 2023

20.7

Suicide deaths (per 100,000), 2023

60.3

Deaths related to alcohol, drugs, or suicide (per 100,000), 2023

37.0

Percent of adults who have obesity, 2024

13.1

Percent of children age 6-17 who have obesity, 2022-23

11.7

Percent of adults who have diabetes, 2024

35.4

Percent of adults who have hypertension, 2024

Low Tier

Public health emergency preparedness performance tier (High, Middle, Low), 2024

48.7

Percent of population (age 6 months or older) who received seasonal flu vaccination, 2023-24

Data in Detail

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Check these TFAH reports for latest state-specific data:

Ready or Not 2025: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism Read More
Public Health Infrastructure in Crisis: HHS Workforce Cuts, Reorganizations, and Funding Reductions: Impacts and Solutions 2025 Read More
Pain in the Nation 2025: the Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths Read More
State of Obesity 2025: Better Policies for a Healthier America Read More

Spotlight On

South Dakota

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The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America’s Public Health System: Trends, Risks, and Recommendations, 2023

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