Health Profile of Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa 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
Tuscaloosa Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Tuscaloosa | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.2% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Tuscaloosa is 75.1 years, about 0.4 years longer than the Alabama average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 7.9%, lower than the Alabama average of 9.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.2% of residents, lower than the Alabama average of 23.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
24,230 residents in Tuscaloosa are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,183 383 men · 800 women
- 75–84 3,628 1,492 men · 2,136 women
- 65–74 6,518 2,872 men · 3,645 women
- 50–64 12,902 6,090 men · 6,811 women
Younger residents
17,576 residents in Tuscaloosa are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,002 2,499 boys · 2,502 girls
- 7–12 5,267 2,759 boys · 2,508 girls
- 3–7 4,224 2,165 boys · 2,059 girls
- 0–3 3,084 1,540 boys · 1,545 girls
About 4,781 residents in Tuscaloosa (4.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Tuscaloosa | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.5% | 14.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.5% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.9% | 41.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Tuscaloosa is about 33% lower than in Alabama. The rate of heart disease in Tuscaloosa is about 31% lower than in Alabama. The rate of diabetes in Tuscaloosa is about 23% lower than in Alabama.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Tuscaloosa | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.3% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.6% | 13.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.8% | 32.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Tuscaloosa is about 22% higher than in Alabama. The rate of smoking in Tuscaloosa is about 17% lower than in Alabama.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 150,278 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 54.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.7 million minutes a day and 603.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Tuscaloosa is 75.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 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 | Tuscaloosa | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.26 | 7.76 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Tuscaloosa is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
What is the health grade for Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
Tuscaloosa, 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.
What is the average lifespan in Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
People in Tuscaloosa, Alabama can expect to live 75.1 years on average, about the same as the Alabama average of 74.7.
How many people lack health insurance in Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
7.9% of residents in Tuscaloosa, Alabama have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 1.3 points below the Alabama rate of 9.2%.
What percentage of Tuscaloosa, Alabama residents are obese?
40.9% of adults in Tuscaloosa, Alabama are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, about the same as the Alabama rate of 41.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
Compared with Alabama as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 16.6%, about 22% higher than the Alabama rate of 13.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 150,278 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 54.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.7 million minutes a day and 603.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Tuscaloosa is 75.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 lifetimes a year.
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