Diabetes rates have been on the rise for the last two decades, and show no sign of abating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 11.3% of the U.S. population suffers from diabetes—though many of those affected do not know they have the chronic illness.
Diabetes was the 8th leading cause of death in 2020, but the disease does not impact all Americans equally. Instead, variables like poverty level, geographic region, and race all influence diabetes rates, meaning some Americans are disproportionately impacted by the disease.
The Southeastern portion of the U.S. has a particularly high concentration of counties with elevated diabetes rates, with parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas, and nearly all of Louisiana, along with other states, facing some of the highest rates. Studies have shown that lack of access to healthy, affordable foods and health care services, exposure to environmental toxins, and other health hazards associated with poverty and systemic racism contribute to the increased likelihood of developing diabetes. These same conditions also mean that poor, non-white Americans are more likely to endure complications and have higher mortality rates from diabetes than wealthier white Americans with the disease.
The proportion of young people with diabetes is projected to increase over the next several decades, with racial, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities only growing larger if trends continue. Using 2022 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Stacker identified the counties in South Dakota with the highest percentage of adults with diabetes. Ties were broken by the broader Quality of Life rank provided by the analysis, which includes other poor physical and mental health indicators. The age-adjusted diabetes rate was obtained through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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User:Magicpiano // Wikimedia Commons
1 / 25#25. Clay County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #7
--- Quality of life rank: #13
--- Length of life rank: #12
- Estimated county population: 14,246
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
2 / 25#24. Bon Homme County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #4
--- Quality of life rank: #17
--- Length of life rank: #3
- Estimated county population: 6,848
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 25#23. Gregory County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #36
--- Quality of life rank: #24
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 4,219
Jimmy Emerson, DVM // Flickr
4 / 25#22. Moody County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #18
--- Quality of life rank: #29
--- Length of life rank: #14
- Estimated county population: 6,525
Jimmy Emerson, DVM // Flickr
5 / 25#21. Day County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #34
--- Quality of life rank: #33
--- Length of life rank: #29
- Estimated county population: 5,345
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puroticorico // Wikimedia Commons
6 / 25#20. Custer County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #26
--- Quality of life rank: #35
--- Length of life rank: #16
- Estimated county population: 9,017
#19. Haakon County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #44
--- Quality of life rank: #42
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 1,861
JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 25#18. Butte County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #42
--- Quality of life rank: #47
--- Length of life rank: #18
- Estimated county population: 10,538
JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 25#17. Clark County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #47
--- Quality of life rank: #48
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 3,802
Wacekj // Wikimedia Commons
10 / 25Jon Roanhaus // Wikimedia Commons
11 / 25#15. McPherson County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 9% (same as state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #50
--- Quality of life rank: #51
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 2,363
#14. Beadle County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #41
--- Quality of life rank: #45
--- Length of life rank: #25
- Estimated county population: 18,513
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 25#13. Tripp County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #45
--- Quality of life rank: #46
--- Length of life rank: #28
- Estimated county population: 5,377
Betsy Armour // Wikimedia Commons
14 / 25#12. Roberts County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 11% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #46
--- Quality of life rank: #34
--- Length of life rank: #53
- Estimated county population: 10,331
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 25#11. Charles Mix County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 11% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #51
--- Quality of life rank: #43
--- Length of life rank: #54
- Estimated county population: 9,262
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Rolf Blauert Dk4hb // Wikimedia Commons
16 / 25#10. Lyman County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 11% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #53
--- Quality of life rank: #53
--- Length of life rank: #52
- Estimated county population: 3,797
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 25#9. Bennett County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 14% (5 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #54
--- Quality of life rank: #52
--- Length of life rank: #55
- Estimated county population: 3,399
Jonathunder // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 25#8. Jackson County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 15% (6 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #52
--- Quality of life rank: #54
--- Length of life rank: #51
- Estimated county population: 3,321
#7. Mellette County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 16% (7 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #56
--- Quality of life rank: #55
--- Length of life rank: #56
- Estimated county population: 2,089
Runner1928 // Wikimedia Commons
20 / 25#6. Dewey County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 16% (7 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #57
--- Quality of life rank: #56
--- Length of life rank: #59
- Estimated county population: 5,789
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JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
21 / 25#5. Corson County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 17% (8 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #58
--- Quality of life rank: #57
--- Length of life rank: #58
- Estimated county population: 4,031
Jeff the quiet // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 25#4. Ziebach County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 17% (8 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #55
--- Quality of life rank: #58
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 2,656
Harry Weddington, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 25#3. Buffalo County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 18% (9 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #61
--- Quality of life rank: #61
--- Length of life rank: #61
- Estimated county population: 1,956
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 25#2. Todd County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 20% (11 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #59
--- Quality of life rank: #59
--- Length of life rank: #57
- Estimated county population: 10,313
#1. Oglala Lakota County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 20% (11 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #60
--- Quality of life rank: #60
--- Length of life rank: #60
- Estimated county population: 14,070
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