Health Profile of Houston County, Alabama
Houston 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
Houston County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Houston County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.2% | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.5% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Houston County is 76.0 years, about 1.3 years longer than the Alabama average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 11.2%, higher than the Alabama average of 9.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.5% of residents, higher than the Alabama average of 23.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
39,758 residents in Houston County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,117 678 men · 1,439 women
- 75–84 6,020 2,486 men · 3,535 women
- 65–74 10,962 4,965 men · 5,997 women
- 50–64 20,658 9,983 men · 10,675 women
Younger residents
23,862 residents in Houston County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 7,298 3,691 boys · 3,607 girls
- 7–12 6,912 3,619 boys · 3,293 girls
- 3–7 5,489 2,929 boys · 2,560 girls
- 0–3 4,162 2,141 boys · 2,021 girls
About 7,435 residents in Houston County (6.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Houston County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.0% | 14.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.9% | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.8% | 41.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Houston County are about the same as in Alabama.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Houston County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.3% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.1% | 13.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 35.2% | 32.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Houston County are about the same as in Alabama.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 185,719 cigarettes a day, 5.6 million a month, or 67.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 745.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston County is 76.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 19 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 | Houston County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.36 | 7.76 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Houston County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Houston County, AL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Houston County, AL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 108,140 residents against a local median of 17,647. Houston County, AL 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 counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 11% above the local median at 11.2% against 10.1%. Houston County, AL has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County, AL | 108,140 | 76.0 yrs #2/6 | 11.2% #4/6 | 40.8% #5/6 |
| Henry County, AL | 17,647 | 75.8 yrs | 9.1% | 43.3% |
| Jackson County, FL | 48,250 | 74.7 yrs | 8.6% | 35.0% |
| Dale County, AL | 49,597 | 76.5 yrs | 10.1% | 38.4% |
| Early County, GA | 10,603 | 74.0 yrs | 13.7% | 40.1% |
| Seminole County, GA | 9,156 | 73.7 yrs | 14.8% | 37.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Houston 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 Houston County, Alabama.
Is Houston County, Alabama a healthy place to live?
Houston 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 Houston County, Alabama one of the healthiest counties in Alabama?
Houston County ranks 25th 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.
How long do people live in Houston County, Alabama?
People in Houston County, Alabama can expect to live 76.0 years on average, 1.3 years longer than the Alabama average of 74.7.
What percentage of Houston County, Alabama residents are uninsured?
11.2% of residents in Houston County, Alabama have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 2.0 points above the Alabama rate of 9.2%.
What percentage of Houston County, Alabama residents are obese?
40.8% of adults in Houston County, Alabama are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 0.6 points below the Alabama rate of 41.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Houston County, Alabama go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 185,719 cigarettes a day, 5.6 million a month, or 67.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 745.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston County is 76.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 19 lifetimes a year.
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