Health Profile of DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb 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
DeKalb County Around averageHealthier than 93% of counties in Georgia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | DeKalb County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.7% | 12.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.2% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in DeKalb County is 77.7 years, about 1.9 years longer than the Georgia average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 12.7%, higher than the Georgia average of 12.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.2% of residents, lower than the Georgia average of 20.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
225,594 residents in DeKalb County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 10,258 3,205 men · 7,053 women
- 75–84 24,524 9,710 men · 14,814 women
- 65–74 54,026 23,338 men · 30,689 women
- 50–64 136,785 64,393 men · 72,392 women
Younger residents
167,472 residents in DeKalb County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 50,700 25,804 boys · 24,896 girls
- 7–12 48,029 23,788 boys · 24,242 girls
- 3–7 38,493 19,162 boys · 19,331 girls
- 0–3 30,250 15,421 boys · 14,829 girls
About 26,851 residents in DeKalb County (3.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | DeKalb County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.2% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.8% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.9% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.6% | 38.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in DeKalb County is about 36% lower than in Georgia. The rate of cancer in DeKalb County is about 23% lower than in Georgia. The rate of obesity in DeKalb County is about 20% lower than in Georgia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | DeKalb County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.2% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.9% | 14.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.6% | 30.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in DeKalb County is about 31% lower than in Georgia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in DeKalb County is about 19% lower than in Georgia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 896,916 cigarettes a day, 26.9 million a month, or 327.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 9.9 million minutes a day and 3.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in DeKalb County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.24 lifetimes a day, or 88 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 | DeKalb County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.57 | 7.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in DeKalb County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
DeKalb County, GA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
DeKalb County, GA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 765,300 residents against a local median of 298,922. Where DeKalb County, GA breaks from the counties next to it is obesity, sitting 19% below the local median of 37.8% at 30.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 10.7% on obesity, so DeKalb County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeKalb County, GA has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, GA | 765,300 | 77.7 yrs #2/6 | 12.7% #3/6 | 30.6% #2/6 |
| Rockdale County, GA | 95,281 | 77.6 yrs | 13.1% | 40.9% |
| Fulton County, GA | 1,076,535 | 77.1 yrs | 9.5% | 31.6% |
| Clayton County, GA | 298,922 | 75.4 yrs | 17.0% | 37.8% |
| Gwinnett County, GA | 979,292 | 78.9 yrs | 15.2% | 30.2% |
| Henry County, GA | 249,959 | 77.2 yrs | 9.8% | 40.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, DeKalb County, Georgia has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Georgia, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in DeKalb County, Georgia.
How healthy is DeKalb County, Georgia?
DeKalb County, Georgia 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 DeKalb County, Georgia one of the healthiest counties in Georgia?
DeKalb County ranks 12th healthiest out of 159 counties in Georgia by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in DeKalb County, Georgia?
People in DeKalb County, Georgia can expect to live 77.7 years on average, 1.9 years longer than the Georgia average of 75.8.
What is the uninsured rate in DeKalb County, Georgia?
12.7% of residents in DeKalb County, Georgia have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, about the same as the Georgia rate of 12.4%.
What is the obesity rate in DeKalb County, Georgia?
30.6% of adults in DeKalb County, Georgia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 7.5 points below the Georgia rate of 38.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in DeKalb County, Georgia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 896,916 cigarettes a day, 26.9 million a month, or 327.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 9.9 million minutes a day and 3.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in DeKalb County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.24 lifetimes a day, or 88 lifetimes a year.
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