Health Profile of Highlands County, Florida
Highlands 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
Highlands County Below averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in Florida
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 13.8% | 11.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Highlands County is 77.4 years, about 0.2 years longer than the Florida average of 77.2 years. The uninsured rate is 13.8%, higher than the Florida average of 11.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.4% of residents, higher than the Florida average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
56,387 residents in Highlands County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,754 2,162 men · 2,592 women
- 75–84 14,453 7,020 men · 7,432 women
- 65–74 18,044 8,364 men · 9,680 women
- 50–64 19,136 9,029 men · 10,107 women
Younger residents
16,901 residents in Highlands County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,478 2,651 boys · 2,828 girls
- 7–12 5,074 2,629 boys · 2,445 girls
- 3–7 3,697 1,976 boys · 1,720 girls
- 0–3 2,652 1,354 boys · 1,298 girls
About 15,107 residents in Highlands County (14.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Highlands County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 16.3% | 12.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.7% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 11.4% | 8.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.8% | 33.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Highlands County is about 43% higher than in Florida. The rate of cancer in Highlands County is about 33% higher than in Florida. The rate of diabetes in Highlands County is about 30% higher than in Florida.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Highlands County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.1% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.9% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.7% | 29.1% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Highlands County is about 20% lower than in Florida.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 177,349 cigarettes a day, 5.3 million a month, or 64.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 712.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Highlands County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 17 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 | Highlands County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.83 | 7.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Highlands County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Highlands County, FL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Highlands County, FL is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 105,700 residents against a local median of 35,386. The measure that sets Highlands County, FL apart most is uninsured: 13.8%, 31% below the local median of 19.9%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 10.4% on uninsured, so Highlands County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Highlands County, FL has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands County, FL | 105,700 | 77.4 yrs #3/6 | 13.8% #2/6 | 37.8% #3/6 |
| Glades County, FL | 12,560 | 74.6 yrs | 22.8% | 38.3% |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 40,816 | 77.1 yrs | 17.2% | 34.1% |
| Hardee County, FL | 25,673 | 79.5 yrs | 20.1% | 38.4% |
| DeSoto County, FL | 35,386 | 78.0 yrs | 19.9% | 39.9% |
| Polk County, FL | 790,685 | 77.2 yrs | 12.4% | 36.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Highlands County, Florida has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Florida, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Highlands County, Florida.
How healthy is Highlands County, Florida?
Highlands County, Florida 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 Highlands County, Florida one of the healthiest counties in Florida?
Highlands County ranks 52nd healthiest out of 67 counties in Florida by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Highlands County, Florida?
People in Highlands County, Florida can expect to live 77.4 years on average, about the same as the Florida average of 77.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Highlands County, Florida?
13.8% of residents in Highlands County, Florida have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 2.2 points above the Florida rate of 11.5%.
How common is obesity in Highlands County, Florida?
37.8% of adults in Highlands County, Florida are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.0 points above the Florida rate of 33.8%.
What is the biggest health concern in Highlands County, Florida?
Compared with Florida as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 11.4%, about 43% higher than the Florida rate of 8.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Highlands County, Florida go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 177,349 cigarettes a day, 5.3 million a month, or 64.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 712.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Highlands County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 17 lifetimes a year.
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