Health Profile of Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock 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
Little Rock Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Little Rock | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.5% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.8% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Little Rock is 75.9 years, about 0.4 years longer than the Arkansas average of 75.5 years. The uninsured rate is 10.5%, higher than the Arkansas average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.8% of residents, lower than the Arkansas average of 22.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
59,848 residents in Little Rock are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,064 1,267 men · 2,797 women
- 75–84 7,340 2,985 men · 4,355 women
- 65–74 15,947 6,990 men · 8,957 women
- 50–64 32,497 14,653 men · 17,844 women
Younger residents
44,550 residents in Little Rock are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 12,665 6,640 boys · 6,025 girls
- 7–12 13,222 6,315 boys · 6,907 girls
- 3–7 10,655 5,122 boys · 5,534 girls
- 0–3 8,008 4,017 boys · 3,992 girls
About 10,631 residents in Little Rock (5.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Little Rock | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.6% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.1% | 8.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.2% | 39.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Little Rock is about 29% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of cancer in Little Rock is about 20% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of diabetes in Little Rock is about 15% lower than in Arkansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Little Rock | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.5% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.6% | 13.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.2% | 33.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Little Rock is about 16% lower than in Arkansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 282,695 cigarettes a day, 8.5 million a month, or 103.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.1 million minutes a day and 1.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Little Rock is 75.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 28 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 | Little Rock | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.27 | 7.47 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Little Rock is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Little Rock, 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 Little Rock, Arkansas.
Is Little Rock, Arkansas a healthy place to live?
Little Rock, 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.
How long do people live in Little Rock, Arkansas?
People in Little Rock, Arkansas can expect to live 75.9 years on average, about the same as the Arkansas average of 75.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Little Rock, Arkansas?
10.5% of residents in Little Rock, Arkansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.5 points above the Arkansas rate of 9.0%.
How common is obesity in Little Rock, Arkansas?
37.2% of adults in Little Rock, Arkansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.8 points below the Arkansas rate of 39.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Little Rock, Arkansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 282,695 cigarettes a day, 8.5 million a month, or 103.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.1 million minutes a day and 1.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Little Rock is 75.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 28 lifetimes a year.
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