Health Profile of DeKalb County, Alabama
DeKalb 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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C
DeKalb County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 15.5% | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.6% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in DeKalb County is 75.0 years, about 0.3 years longer than the Alabama average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 15.5%, higher than the Alabama average of 9.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.6% of residents, higher than the Alabama average of 23.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
26,308 residents in DeKalb County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,163 270 men · 893 women
- 75–84 3,724 1,680 men · 2,044 women
- 65–74 7,257 3,381 men · 3,877 women
- 50–64 14,164 7,115 men · 7,048 women
Younger residents
16,450 residents in DeKalb County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,534 2,729 boys · 2,804 girls
- 7–12 4,853 2,454 boys · 2,399 girls
- 3–7 3,477 1,819 boys · 1,658 girls
- 0–3 2,586 1,319 boys · 1,268 girls
About 4,877 residents in DeKalb County (6.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.4% | 14.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.4% | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.0% | 41.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in DeKalb County are about the same as in Alabama.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.6% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.6% | 13.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.3% | 32.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in DeKalb County are about the same as in Alabama.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 129,322 cigarettes a day, 3.9 million a month, or 47.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.4 million minutes a day and 519.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in DeKalb County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 13 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 | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.41 | 7.76 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in DeKalb County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
DeKalb County, AL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
DeKalb County, AL is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 72,266 residents against a local median of 25,443. The measure that sets DeKalb County, AL apart most is uninsured: 15.5%, 50% above the local median of 10.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.0% on uninsured, so DeKalb County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeKalb County, AL has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, AL | 72,266 | 75.0 yrs #2/6 | 15.5% #6/6 | 42.0% #4/6 |
| Cherokee County, AL | 25,443 | 74.1 yrs | 7.2% | 42.6% |
| Jackson County, AL | 53,053 | 73.6 yrs | 10.3% | 40.9% |
| Chattooga County, GA | 25,036 | 72.9 yrs | 13.1% | 38.3% |
| Etowah County, AL | 103,105 | 72.5 yrs | 11.4% | 42.9% |
| Dade County, GA | 16,136 | 76.3 yrs | 9.6% | 33.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, DeKalb County, Alabama has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Alabama, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in DeKalb County, Alabama.
Is DeKalb County, Alabama a healthy place to live?
DeKalb County, Alabama has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is DeKalb County, Alabama one of the healthiest counties in Alabama?
DeKalb County ranks 44th healthiest out of 67 counties in Alabama by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in DeKalb County, Alabama?
People in DeKalb County, Alabama can expect to live 75.0 years on average, about the same as the Alabama average of 74.7.
What percentage of DeKalb County, Alabama residents are uninsured?
15.5% of residents in DeKalb County, Alabama have no health insurance, about 1 in 6 people, 6.3 points above the Alabama rate of 9.2%.
What percentage of DeKalb County, Alabama residents are obese?
42.0% of adults in DeKalb County, Alabama are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 0.7 points above the Alabama rate of 41.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in DeKalb County, Alabama go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 129,322 cigarettes a day, 3.9 million a month, or 47.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.4 million minutes a day and 519.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in DeKalb County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 13 lifetimes a year.
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