Health Profile of Jefferson County, Colorado
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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A
Jefferson County Above averageHealthier than 87% of counties in Colorado
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 80.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 10.0% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 79.9 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the Colorado average of 80.0 years. The uninsured rate is 5.3%, lower than the Colorado average of 7.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 10.0% of residents, lower than the Colorado average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
210,484 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 10,794 4,037 men · 6,757 women
- 75–84 27,023 11,703 men · 15,320 women
- 65–74 55,751 26,377 men · 29,374 women
- 50–64 116,917 57,177 men · 59,739 women
Younger residents
103,620 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 32,963 16,989 boys · 15,974 girls
- 7–12 30,765 15,690 boys · 15,075 girls
- 3–7 23,172 11,852 boys · 11,320 girls
- 0–3 16,720 8,597 boys · 8,123 girls
About 21,902 residents in Jefferson County (3.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.9 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 | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.0% | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.8% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 24.0% | 26.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Jefferson County is about 25% lower than in Colorado. The rate of heart disease in Jefferson County is about 22% lower than in Colorado.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 12.5% | 16.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.8% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 14.4% | 19.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Jefferson County is about 28% lower than in Colorado. The rate of smoking in Jefferson County is about 22% lower than in Colorado.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 589,100 cigarettes a day, 17.7 million a month, or 215.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.5 million minutes a day and 2.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 56 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 | Colorado Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.93 | 4.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 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, CO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, CO is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 579,346 residents against a local median of 76,305. The measure that sets Jefferson County, CO apart most is uninsured: 5.3%, 20% above the local median of 4.4%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.2% on uninsured, so Jefferson County, CO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, CO has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, CO | 579,346 | 79.9 yrs #5/6 | 5.3% #4/6 | 24.0% #5/6 |
| Gilpin County, CO | 5,901 | 81.8 yrs | 3.9% | 23.5% |
| Clear Creek County, CO | 9,259 | 82.9 yrs | 5.7% | 24.3% |
| Douglas County, CO | 377,140 | 82.1 yrs | 3.9% | 20.7% |
| Denver County, CO | 718,150 | 78.5 yrs | 9.0% | 21.7% |
| Broomfield County, CO | 76,305 | 81.0 yrs | 4.4% | 22.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson County, Colorado has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Colorado, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jefferson County, Colorado.
Is Jefferson County, Colorado a healthy place to live?
Jefferson County, Colorado has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Jefferson County, Colorado one of the healthiest counties in Colorado?
Jefferson County ranks 9th healthiest out of 62 counties in Colorado by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Jefferson County, Colorado?
People in Jefferson County, Colorado can expect to live 79.9 years on average, about the same as the Colorado average of 80.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Jefferson County, Colorado?
5.3% of residents in Jefferson County, Colorado have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 2.5 points below the Colorado rate of 7.7%.
What is the obesity rate in Jefferson County, Colorado?
24.0% of adults in Jefferson County, Colorado are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 2.3 points below the Colorado rate of 26.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Colorado go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 589,100 cigarettes a day, 17.7 million a month, or 215.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.5 million minutes a day and 2.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 56 lifetimes a year.
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