Health Profile of Polk County, Georgia
Polk 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
Polk County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.7 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.0% | 12.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.6% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Polk County is 73.7 years, about 2.1 years shorter than the Georgia average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 12.0%, lower than the Georgia average of 12.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.6% of residents, lower than the Georgia average of 20.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
14,482 residents in Polk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 579 198 men · 381 women
- 75–84 2,047 898 men · 1,150 women
- 65–74 3,911 1,740 men · 2,171 women
- 50–64 7,944 3,803 men · 4,142 women
Younger residents
10,425 residents in Polk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,192 1,753 boys · 1,439 girls
- 7–12 3,032 1,555 boys · 1,477 girls
- 3–7 2,395 1,146 boys · 1,248 girls
- 0–3 1,806 852 boys · 954 girls
About 3,028 residents in Polk County (6.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Polk County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.8% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.7% | 38.0% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Polk County are about the same as in Georgia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Polk County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.4% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 14.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.0% | 30.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Polk County are about the same as in Georgia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 73,552 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 26.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 809,075 minutes a day and 295.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 73.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.62 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 | Polk County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.63 | 7.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Polk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Polk County, GA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, GA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 43,785 residents against a local median of 113,109. Nothing separates Polk County, GA sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 13% above the local median at 39.7% against 35.2%. Polk County, GA has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, GA | 43,785 | 73.7 yrs #5/6 | 12.0% #3/6 | 39.7% #6/6 |
| Haralson County, GA | 31,285 | 73.2 yrs | 11.1% | 33.3% |
| Floyd County, GA | 99,681 | 75.6 yrs | 13.5% | 38.0% |
| Paulding County, GA | 178,866 | 77.3 yrs | 10.1% | 34.4% |
| Bartow County, GA | 113,109 | 75.6 yrs | 14.8% | 35.2% |
| Carroll County, GA | 124,574 | 75.0 yrs | 12.0% | 37.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Polk County, Georgia has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Georgia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Polk County, Georgia.
Is Polk County, Georgia a healthy place to live?
Polk County, Georgia 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 Polk County, Georgia one of the healthiest counties in Georgia?
Polk County ranks 95th 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 Polk County, Georgia?
People in Polk County, Georgia can expect to live 73.7 years on average, 2.1 years shorter than the Georgia average of 75.8.
What percentage of Polk County, Georgia residents are uninsured?
12.0% of residents in Polk County, Georgia have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, about the same as the Georgia rate of 12.4%.
How common is obesity in Polk County, Georgia?
39.7% of adults in Polk County, Georgia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points above the Georgia rate of 38.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Polk County, Georgia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 73,552 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 26.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 809,075 minutes a day and 295.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 73.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.62 lifetimes a year.
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