Health Profile of Alabama
Alabama 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
Alabama Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Alabama
- Shelby County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Lee County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Baldwin County (100% of U.S. avg)
- Greene County (92% of U.S. avg)
- Wilcox County (92% of U.S. avg)
- Perry County (93% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Alabama | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Alabama is 74.7 years, about 3.6 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 9.2%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.4% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,815,846 residents in Alabama are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 88,710 29,285 men · 59,424 women
- 75–84 261,585 108,696 men · 152,889 women
- 65–74 494,099 227,679 men · 266,420 women
- 50–64 971,452 470,757 men · 500,695 women
Younger residents
1,085,678 residents in Alabama are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 340,348 173,800 boys · 166,548 girls
- 7–12 321,327 164,301 boys · 157,026 girls
- 3–7 243,690 124,842 boys · 118,848 girls
- 0–3 180,313 92,297 boys · 88,016 girls
About 363,506 residents in Alabama (7.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Alabama | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Alabama is about 31% higher than in US. The rate of obesity in Alabama is about 21% higher than in US. The rate of heart disease in Alabama is about 15% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Alabama | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Alabama is about 28% higher than in US. The rate of binge drinking in Alabama is about 18% lower than in US. The rate of smoking in Alabama is about 16% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 8.7 million cigarettes a day, 262.4 million a month, or 3.2 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 96.2 million minutes a day and 35.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alabama is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.45 lifetimes a day, or 895 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 | Alabama | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.76 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Alabama is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Alabama Health Compared With Nearby States
Alabama is typical in size for this group, 5,083,438 residents against a local median of 4,610,276, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Alabama sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these states turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 8% below the local median at 9.2% against 10.0%. Alabama has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5,083,438 | 74.7 yrs #6/6 | 9.2% #3/6 | 41.3% #5/6 |
| Mississippi | 2,946,497 | 74.7 yrs | 11.0% | 41.8% |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | 74.8 yrs | 10.0% | 37.9% |
| Georgia | 10,939,918 | 75.8 yrs | 12.4% | 38.0% |
| Kentucky | 4,533,530 | 75.0 yrs | 6.0% | 39.7% |
| Louisiana | 4,610,276 | 75.1 yrs | 7.8% | 40.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Alabama has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Alabama.
How healthy is Alabama?
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 Alabama one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Alabama ranks 50th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Alabama?
People in Alabama can expect to live 74.7 years on average, 3.6 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Alabama?
9.2% of residents in Alabama have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 0.8 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
How common is obesity in Alabama?
41.3% of adults in Alabama are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 7.0 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Alabama?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 14.9%, about 31% higher than the US rate of 11.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Alabama go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 8.7 million cigarettes a day, 262.4 million a month, or 3.2 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 96.2 million minutes a day and 35.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alabama is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.45 lifetimes a day, or 895 lifetimes a year.
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