Health Profile of Sierra County, California
Sierra 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
Sierra County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Sierra County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 84.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 13.7% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.4% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Sierra County is 84.9 years, about 5.3 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 13.7%, higher than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.4% of residents, higher than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,461 residents in Sierra County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 49 20 men · 28 women
- 75–84 252 118 men · 134 women
- 65–74 440 215 men · 225 women
- 50–64 720 361 men · 359 women
Younger residents
398 residents in Sierra County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 147 66 boys · 81 girls
- 7–12 129 61 boys · 68 girls
- 3–7 74 38 boys · 36 girls
- 0–3 48 23 boys · 26 girls
About 50 residents in Sierra County (1.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 84.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Sierra County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.3% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.4% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.6% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.3% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Sierra County is about 35% higher than in California. The rate of cancer in Sierra County is about 34% higher than in California. The rate of diabetes in Sierra County is about 17% higher than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Sierra County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.9% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.7% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Sierra County are about the same as in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3,641 cigarettes a day, 109,219 a month, or 1.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 40,047 minutes a day and 14.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Sierra County is 84.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.33 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 | Sierra County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.25 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Sierra County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Sierra County, CA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Sierra County, CA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 2,746 residents against a local median of 102,481. Sierra County, CA's uninsured, at 13.7%, runs 159% above the 5.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.0% on uninsured, so Sierra County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Sierra County, CA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County, CA | 2,746 | 84.9 yrs #1/6 | 13.7% #6/6 | 32.3% #5/6 |
| Nevada County, CA | 102,481 | 80.0 yrs | 5.3% | 28.6% |
| Plumas County, CA | 19,423 | 78.0 yrs | 5.8% | 30.2% |
| Placer County, CA | 418,934 | 80.3 yrs | 3.2% | 28.3% |
| El Dorado County, CA | 192,661 | 80.7 yrs | 3.9% | 28.6% |
| Carson City, NV | 58,384 | 77.5 yrs | 11.2% | 33.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Sierra County, California has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than California, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Sierra County, California.
Is Sierra County, California a healthy place to live?
Sierra County, California 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 Sierra County, California one of the healthiest counties in California?
Sierra County ranks 31st healthiest out of 58 counties in California by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Sierra County, California?
People in Sierra County, California can expect to live 84.9 years on average, 5.3 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Sierra County, California?
13.7% of residents in Sierra County, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 7.1 points above the California rate of 6.6%.
How common is obesity in Sierra County, California?
32.3% of adults in Sierra County, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points above the California rate of 30.6%.
What is the biggest health concern in Sierra County, California?
Compared with California as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 8.6%, about 35% higher than the California rate of 6.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Sierra County, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3,641 cigarettes a day, 109,219 a month, or 1.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 40,047 minutes a day and 14.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Sierra County is 84.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.33 lifetimes a year.
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