SD Life Expectancy Grows Past Age 80
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakotans are living longer, and officials credit better medical care and better living habits.
The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports that South Dakota's average lifespan moved from 78 in 1997 to 80 in 2007, the most recent year in the analysis.
State demographer Mike McCurry, an assistant professor at South Dakota State University, says South Dakotans are an amazingly health people. He says better health care is probably the main reason for the increase in life expectancy.
The average South Dakota woman has a lifespan of 82.6 years, slightly higher than the national average of 81.
The average South Dakota man has a lifespan of 77.2 years, compared to 75.9 nationally.
McCurry says the biggest improvement is among American Indians.
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