Health Profile of Benton County, Arkansas
Benton 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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B
Benton County Around averageHealthiest county in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Benton County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.5% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.6% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Benton County is 78.1 years, about 2.6 years longer than the Arkansas average of 75.5 years. The uninsured rate is 9.5%, higher than the Arkansas average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.6% of residents, lower than the Arkansas average of 22.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
89,189 residents in Benton County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,521 1,712 men · 2,808 women
- 75–84 12,164 5,419 men · 6,745 women
- 65–74 22,595 10,536 men · 12,058 women
- 50–64 49,910 24,376 men · 25,534 women
Younger residents
76,736 residents in Benton County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 22,259 11,347 boys · 10,912 girls
- 7–12 23,118 11,849 boys · 11,269 girls
- 3–7 18,186 9,393 boys · 8,793 girls
- 0–3 13,173 6,848 boys · 6,325 girls
About 12,129 residents in Benton County (4.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Benton County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.1% | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 8.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.0% | 39.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Benton County is about 33% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of heart disease in Benton County is about 29% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of obesity in Benton County is about 23% lower than in Arkansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Benton County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.6% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.2% | 13.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.9% | 33.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Benton County is about 24% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of smoking in Benton County is about 24% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of binge drinking in Benton County is about 23% higher than in Arkansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 398,928 cigarettes a day, 12.0 million a month, or 145.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.4 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Benton County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 39 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 | Benton County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.18 | 7.47 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Benton County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Benton County, AR Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Benton County, AR is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 303,622 residents against a local median of 41,279. Benton County, AR's uninsured, at 9.5%, runs 26% below the 12.7% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 30.0% against a local median of 39.2%, 23% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Benton County, AR is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 6.4% on uninsured, so Benton County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benton County, AR has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, AR | 303,622 | 78.1 yrs #1/6 | 9.5% #1/6 | 30.0% #1/6 |
| McDonald County, MO | 23,701 | 76.8 yrs | 18.4% | 39.3% |
| Washington County, AR | 256,746 | 78.0 yrs | 12.4% | 34.6% |
| Delaware County, OK | 41,279 | 75.7 yrs | 13.7% | 39.9% |
| Barry County, MO | 35,028 | 76.8 yrs | 12.1% | 39.2% |
| Newton County, MO | 60,118 | 76.3 yrs | 12.7% | 34.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Benton County, Arkansas has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Arkansas, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Benton County, Arkansas.
Is Benton County, Arkansas a healthy place to live?
Benton County, Arkansas has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Benton County, Arkansas one of the healthiest counties in Arkansas?
Yes. Benton County ranks 1st of 75 counties in Arkansas by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
What is the average lifespan in Benton County, Arkansas?
People in Benton County, Arkansas can expect to live 78.1 years on average, 2.6 years longer than the Arkansas average of 75.5.
What percentage of Benton County, Arkansas residents are uninsured?
9.5% of residents in Benton County, Arkansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, about the same as the Arkansas rate of 9.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Benton County, Arkansas?
30.0% of adults in Benton County, Arkansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 9.0 points below the Arkansas rate of 39.0%.
Which health problem stands out most in Benton County, Arkansas?
Compared with Arkansas as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 17.2%, about 23% higher than the Arkansas rate of 13.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Benton County, Arkansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 398,928 cigarettes a day, 12.0 million a month, or 145.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.4 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Benton County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 39 lifetimes a year.
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