Health Profile of Jefferson County, Arkansas
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 averageLess healthy than 85% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.2 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.1% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 25.5% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 73.2 years, about 2.3 years shorter than the Arkansas average of 75.5 years. The uninsured rate is 5.1%, lower than the Arkansas average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 25.5% of residents, higher than the Arkansas average of 22.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
23,928 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,201 373 men · 829 women
- 75–84 3,291 1,403 men · 1,889 women
- 65–74 6,530 2,931 men · 3,599 women
- 50–64 12,906 6,318 men · 6,588 women
Younger residents
13,446 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,068 2,115 boys · 1,953 girls
- 7–12 3,950 2,032 boys · 1,918 girls
- 3–7 3,120 1,596 boys · 1,524 girls
- 0–3 2,307 1,190 boys · 1,117 girls
About 5,552 residents in Jefferson County (8.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.2 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 | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 16.4% | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.7% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.6% | 8.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 45.8% | 39.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Jefferson County is about 20% higher than in Arkansas. The rate of cancer in Jefferson County is about 19% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of obesity in Jefferson County is about 18% higher than in Arkansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.9% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.1% | 13.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 35.5% | 33.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Jefferson County are about the same as in Arkansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 121,720 cigarettes a day, 3.7 million a month, or 44.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 488.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 73.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 13 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 | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.72 | 7.47 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.7 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, AR Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, AR is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 64,799 residents against a local median of 16,514. Where Jefferson County, AR breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 22% below the local median of 6.6% at 5.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 45.8% against a local median of 38.1%, 20% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: uninsured runs ahead of the neighbourhood while obesity runs behind it, so Jefferson County, AR is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 5.7% on uninsured, so Jefferson County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, AR has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, AR | 64,799 | 73.2 yrs #6/6 | 5.1% #2/6 | 45.8% #6/6 |
| Lincoln County, AR | 12,948 | 76.0 yrs | 8.1% | 38.7% |
| Cleveland County, AR | 7,452 | 76.8 yrs | 4.0% | 38.6% |
| Lonoke County, AR | 75,267 | 75.0 yrs | 6.2% | 37.3% |
| Grant County, AR | 18,243 | 75.6 yrs | 6.6% | 37.8% |
| Arkansas County, AR | 16,514 | 74.7 yrs | 9.7% | 38.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson County, Arkansas has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Arkansas, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jefferson County, Arkansas.
Is Jefferson County, Arkansas a healthy place to live?
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Arkansas one of the healthiest counties in Arkansas?
Jefferson County ranks 64th 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.
What is the average lifespan in Jefferson County, Arkansas?
People in Jefferson County, Arkansas can expect to live 73.2 years on average, 2.3 years shorter than the Arkansas average of 75.5.
What is the uninsured rate in Jefferson County, Arkansas?
5.1% of residents in Jefferson County, Arkansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 3.9 points below the Arkansas rate of 9.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Jefferson County, Arkansas?
45.8% of adults in Jefferson County, Arkansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 6.8 points above the Arkansas rate of 39.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Arkansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 121,720 cigarettes a day, 3.7 million a month, or 44.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 488.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 73.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 13 lifetimes a year.
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