Health Profile of Lamar County, Alabama
Lamar 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
Lamar County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.0% | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.7% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lamar County is 74.9 years, about 0.2 years longer than the Alabama average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 8.0%, lower than the Alabama average of 9.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.7% of residents, higher than the Alabama average of 23.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,654 residents in Lamar County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 282 91 men · 191 women
- 75–84 949 402 men · 547 women
- 65–74 1,613 774 men · 840 women
- 50–64 2,810 1,364 men · 1,446 women
Younger residents
2,853 residents in Lamar County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 892 421 boys · 470 girls
- 7–12 825 401 boys · 424 girls
- 3–7 643 348 boys · 295 girls
- 0–3 493 272 boys · 222 girls
About 1,251 residents in Lamar County (9.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.8% | 14.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.7% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.4% | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.2% | 41.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Lamar County is about 15% higher than in Alabama.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.8% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.6% | 13.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.8% | 32.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Lamar County are about the same as in Alabama.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 24,347 cigarettes a day, 730,416 a month, or 8.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 267,819 minutes a day and 97.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lamar County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.48 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 | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.31 | 7.76 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lamar County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lamar County, AL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lamar County, AL is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 13,693 residents against a local median of 29,184. Lamar County, AL's uninsured, at 8.0%, runs 18% below the 9.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.2% on uninsured, so Lamar County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lamar County, AL has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County, AL | 13,693 | 74.9 yrs #3/6 | 8.0% #3/6 | 40.2% #4/6 |
| Fayette County, AL | 16,053 | 73.4 yrs | 7.7% | 39.2% |
| Monroe County, MS | 33,747 | 75.8 yrs | 9.8% | 40.6% |
| Marion County, AL | 29,184 | 74.4 yrs | 10.7% | 37.9% |
| Lowndes County, MS | 57,838 | 76.1 yrs | 10.5% | 39.2% |
| Pickens County, AL | 18,721 | 74.3 yrs | 7.5% | 41.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lamar 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 Lamar County, Alabama.
What is the health grade for Lamar County, Alabama?
Lamar 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 Lamar County, Alabama one of the healthiest counties in Alabama?
Lamar County ranks 38th 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 Lamar County, Alabama?
People in Lamar County, Alabama can expect to live 74.9 years on average, about the same as the Alabama average of 74.7.
What percentage of Lamar County, Alabama residents are uninsured?
8.0% of residents in Lamar County, Alabama have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 1.2 points below the Alabama rate of 9.2%.
What percentage of Lamar County, Alabama residents are obese?
40.2% of adults in Lamar County, Alabama are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 1.1 points below the Alabama rate of 41.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lamar County, Alabama go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 24,347 cigarettes a day, 730,416 a month, or 8.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 267,819 minutes a day and 97.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lamar County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.48 lifetimes a year.
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