Health Profile of Washington County, Arkansas
Washington 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
Washington County Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Washington County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.4% | 9.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.0% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Washington County is 78.0 years, about 2.4 years longer than the Arkansas average of 75.5 years. The uninsured rate is 12.4%, higher than the Arkansas average of 9.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.0% of residents, lower than the Arkansas average of 22.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
67,561 residents in Washington County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,950 1,100 men · 1,850 women
- 75–84 8,430 3,583 men · 4,847 women
- 65–74 16,622 7,695 men · 8,927 women
- 50–64 39,560 19,612 men · 19,948 women
Younger residents
59,017 residents in Washington County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 17,083 8,879 boys · 8,204 girls
- 7–12 17,677 8,936 boys · 8,741 girls
- 3–7 14,036 7,118 boys · 6,919 girls
- 0–3 10,221 5,301 boys · 4,920 girls
About 8,308 residents in Washington County (3.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Washington County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.6% | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.5% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 8.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.6% | 39.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Washington County is about 30% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of heart disease in Washington County is about 28% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of cancer in Washington County is about 23% lower than in Arkansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Washington County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.3% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.8% | 13.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.9% | 33.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Washington County is about 22% lower than in Arkansas. The rate of binge drinking in Washington County is about 20% higher than in Arkansas. The rate of smoking in Washington County is about 17% lower than in Arkansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 379,461 cigarettes a day, 11.4 million a month, or 138.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.2 million minutes a day and 1.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 37 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 | Washington County | Arkansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.82 | 7.47 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Washington County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Washington County, AR Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, AR is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 256,746 residents against a local median of 19,571. Where Washington County, AR breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 31% above the local median of 9.5% at 12.4%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.2% on uninsured, so Washington County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, AR has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, AR | 256,746 | 78.0 yrs #2/6 | 12.4% #4/6 | 34.6% #2/6 |
| Benton County, AR | 303,622 | 78.1 yrs | 9.5% | 30.0% |
| Crawford County, AR | 61,139 | 75.5 yrs | 9.4% | 36.2% |
| Adair County, OK | 19,571 | 75.3 yrs | 18.5% | 44.4% |
| Madison County, AR | 17,329 | 75.5 yrs | 12.6% | 35.0% |
| Franklin County, AR | 17,335 | 74.7 yrs | 9.4% | 36.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Washington 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 Washington County, Arkansas.
How healthy is Washington County, Arkansas?
Washington 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 Washington County, Arkansas one of the healthiest counties in Arkansas?
Washington County ranks 2nd 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 Washington County, Arkansas?
People in Washington County, Arkansas can expect to live 78.0 years on average, 2.4 years longer than the Arkansas average of 75.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Washington County, Arkansas?
12.4% of residents in Washington County, Arkansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 3.4 points above the Arkansas rate of 9.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Washington County, Arkansas?
34.6% of adults in Washington County, Arkansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.4 points below the Arkansas rate of 39.0%.
What health issue is more common in Washington County, Arkansas than elsewhere?
Compared with Arkansas as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 16.8%, about 20% higher than the Arkansas rate of 13.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Washington County, Arkansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 379,461 cigarettes a day, 11.4 million a month, or 138.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.2 million minutes a day and 1.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 37 lifetimes a year.
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