Health Profile of Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson 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
Jefferson County Below averageHealthier than 82% of counties in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.4% | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.8% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 74.2 years, about 0.5 years shorter than the Alabama average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 9.4%, higher than the Alabama average of 9.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.8% of residents, lower than the Alabama average of 23.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
225,559 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 12,813 4,227 men · 8,587 women
- 75–84 30,848 12,243 men · 18,605 women
- 65–74 60,250 26,755 men · 33,495 women
- 50–64 121,648 56,481 men · 65,167 women
Younger residents
146,184 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 44,742 22,611 boys · 22,131 girls
- 7–12 43,560 22,288 boys · 21,271 girls
- 3–7 33,390 17,073 boys · 16,316 girls
- 0–3 24,493 12,423 boys · 12,070 girls
About 47,891 residents in Jefferson County (7.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.3% | 14.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.1% | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.1% | 41.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Jefferson County are about the same as in Alabama.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.7% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.5% | 13.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.7% | 32.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Jefferson County is about 20% lower than in Alabama.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 906,348 cigarettes a day, 27.2 million a month, or 330.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.0 million minutes a day and 3.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.26 lifetimes a day, or 93 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 | Jefferson County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.73 | 7.76 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jefferson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jefferson County, AL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, AL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 666,272 residents against a local median of 64,822. Jefferson 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 obesity, 6% above the local median at 40.1% against 37.7%. Jefferson County, AL has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, AL | 666,272 | 74.2 yrs #4/6 | 9.4% #3/6 | 40.1% #6/6 |
| Shelby County, AL | 230,211 | 78.2 yrs | 6.4% | 33.3% |
| Walker County, AL | 64,822 | 71.4 yrs | 9.6% | 37.7% |
| Blount County, AL | 59,518 | 75.9 yrs | 10.3% | 32.9% |
| Cullman County, AL | 90,566 | 75.2 yrs | 10.9% | 38.7% |
| Bibb County, AL | 22,130 | 73.6 yrs | 6.9% | 38.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Alabama.
How healthy is Jefferson County, Alabama?
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Alabama one of the healthiest counties in Alabama?
Jefferson County ranks 13th 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 average lifespan in Jefferson County, Alabama?
People in Jefferson County, Alabama can expect to live 74.2 years on average, 0.5 years shorter than the Alabama average of 74.7.
What is the uninsured rate in Jefferson County, Alabama?
9.4% of residents in Jefferson County, Alabama have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, about the same as the Alabama rate of 9.2%.
What percentage of Jefferson County, Alabama residents are obese?
40.1% of adults in Jefferson County, Alabama are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 1.2 points below the Alabama rate of 41.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Alabama go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 906,348 cigarettes a day, 27.2 million a month, or 330.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.0 million minutes a day and 3.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.26 lifetimes a day, or 93 lifetimes a year.
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