Health Profile of Howard County, Arkansas
Howard 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.
-
C
Howard County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.9% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.0% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Howard County is 74.5 years, about 1.0 years shorter than the Arkansas average of 75.5 years. The uninsured rate is 9.9%, higher than the Arkansas average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.0% of residents, higher than the Arkansas average of 22.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,431 residents in Howard County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 259 95 men · 164 women
- 75–84 702 309 men · 393 women
- 65–74 1,142 530 men · 611 women
- 50–64 2,329 1,149 men · 1,180 women
Younger residents
3,100 residents in Howard County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 974 434 boys · 540 girls
- 7–12 933 493 boys · 440 girls
- 3–7 694 374 boys · 320 girls
- 0–3 500 238 boys · 262 girls
About 1,006 residents in Howard County (8.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.5% | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.4% | 8.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.9% | 39.0% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Howard County are about the same as in Arkansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.4% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.9% | 13.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.6% | 33.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Howard County are about the same as in Arkansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 20,973 cigarettes a day, 629,187 a month, or 7.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 230,702 minutes a day and 84.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.15 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 | Howard County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.08 | 7.47 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Howard County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Howard County, AR Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Howard County, AR is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 12,583 residents against a local median of 15,710. Howard County, AR 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, 9% above the local median at 9.9% against 9.0%. Howard County, AR has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, AR | 12,583 | 74.5 yrs #6/6 | 9.9% #4/6 | 40.9% #5/6 |
| Sevier County, AR | 15,710 | 75.3 yrs | 14.9% | 39.8% |
| Pike County, AR | 10,113 | 74.8 yrs | 11.9% | 36.0% |
| Little River County, AR | 11,816 | 75.6 yrs | 4.0% | 37.6% |
| Polk County, AR | 19,361 | 75.8 yrs | 9.0% | 36.6% |
| Hempstead County, AR | 19,508 | 76.7 yrs | 8.3% | 41.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Howard County, Arkansas has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Arkansas, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Howard County, Arkansas.
Is Howard County, Arkansas a healthy place to live?
Howard County, Arkansas 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 Howard County, Arkansas one of the healthiest counties in Arkansas?
Howard County ranks 45th healthiest out of 75 counties in Arkansas by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Howard County, Arkansas?
People in Howard County, Arkansas can expect to live 74.5 years on average, 1.0 years shorter than the Arkansas average of 75.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Howard County, Arkansas?
9.9% of residents in Howard County, Arkansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 0.9 points above the Arkansas rate of 9.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Howard County, Arkansas?
40.9% of adults in Howard County, Arkansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 1.9 points above the Arkansas rate of 39.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Howard County, Arkansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 20,973 cigarettes a day, 629,187 a month, or 7.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 230,702 minutes a day and 84.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.15 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →