Health Profile of Polk County, Arkansas
Polk 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
Polk County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.0% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.8% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Polk County is 75.8 years, about 0.3 years longer than the Arkansas average of 75.5 years. The uninsured rate is about the same as in Arkansas, at 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.8% of residents, higher than the Arkansas average of 22.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,289 residents in Polk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 391 146 men · 245 women
- 75–84 1,405 643 men · 762 women
- 65–74 2,474 1,184 men · 1,290 women
- 50–64 4,019 1,955 men · 2,064 women
Younger residents
4,208 residents in Polk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,290 614 boys · 676 girls
- 7–12 1,297 660 boys · 637 girls
- 3–7 977 499 boys · 479 girls
- 0–3 644 328 boys · 316 girls
About 1,644 residents in Polk County (8.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.8% | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.8% | 8.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.6% | 39.0% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Polk County are about the same as in Arkansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 24.0% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.7% | 13.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.7% | 33.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Polk County are about the same as in Arkansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 36,002 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 396,026 minutes a day and 144.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.63 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 | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.20 | 7.47 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Polk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Polk County, AR Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, AR is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,361 residents against a local median of 12,583. The measure that sets Polk County, AR apart most is uninsured: 9.0%, 20% below the local median of 11.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 7.5% on uninsured, so Polk County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, AR has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, AR | 19,361 | 75.8 yrs #2/6 | 9.0% #1/6 | 36.6% #1/6 |
| Scott County, AR | 9,816 | 75.8 yrs | 11.3% | 38.5% |
| Howard County, AR | 12,583 | 74.5 yrs | 9.9% | 40.9% |
| Sevier County, AR | 15,710 | 75.3 yrs | 14.9% | 39.8% |
| Montgomery County, AR | 8,551 | 77.0 yrs | 10.2% | 37.3% |
| Le Flore County, OK | 49,055 | 74.4 yrs | 17.4% | 45.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Polk 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 Polk County, Arkansas.
What is the health grade for Polk County, Arkansas?
Polk 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 Polk County, Arkansas one of the healthiest counties in Arkansas?
Polk County ranks 47th 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 Polk County, Arkansas?
People in Polk County, Arkansas can expect to live 75.8 years on average, about the same as the Arkansas average of 75.5.
What percentage of Polk County, Arkansas residents are uninsured?
9.0% of residents in Polk County, Arkansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, about the same as the Arkansas rate of 9.0%.
How common is obesity in Polk County, Arkansas?
36.6% of adults in Polk County, Arkansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.4 points below the Arkansas rate of 39.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Polk County, Arkansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 36,002 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 396,026 minutes a day and 144.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.63 lifetimes a year.
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