Health Profile of Wheeler County, Georgia
Wheeler 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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D
Wheeler County Well below averageLess healthy than 88% of counties in Georgia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wheeler County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 23.6% | 12.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.8% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wheeler County is 77.3 years, about 1.5 years longer than the Georgia average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 23.6%, higher than the Georgia average of 12.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.8% of residents, higher than the Georgia average of 20.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,337 residents in Wheeler County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 118 40 men · 78 women
- 75–84 321 134 men · 188 women
- 65–74 604 327 men · 277 women
- 50–64 1,294 759 men · 535 women
Younger residents
1,115 residents in Wheeler County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 394 219 boys · 175 girls
- 7–12 317 171 boys · 146 girls
- 3–7 225 119 boys · 106 girls
- 0–3 179 98 boys · 81 girls
About 339 residents in Wheeler County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wheeler County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.8% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.4% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.7% | 38.0% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Wheeler County are about the same as in Georgia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wheeler County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.9% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 14.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 35.6% | 30.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Wheeler County is about 22% higher than in Georgia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Wheeler County is about 17% higher than in Georgia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,627 cigarettes a day, 498,807 a month, or 6.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 182,896 minutes a day and 66.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wheeler County is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.64 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 | Wheeler County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.93 | 7.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wheeler County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Wheeler County, GA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Wheeler County, GA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,335 residents against a local median of 11,831. Wheeler County, GA's uninsured, at 23.6%, runs 48% above the 16.0% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.2% on uninsured, so Wheeler County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wheeler County, GA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler County, GA | 7,335 | 77.3 yrs #3/6 | 23.6% #6/6 | 41.7% #4/6 |
| Montgomery County, GA | 8,640 | 77.3 yrs | 13.7% | 36.0% |
| Telfair County, GA | 11,831 | 78.7 yrs | 20.7% | 43.4% |
| Jeff Davis County, GA | 14,924 | 73.6 yrs | 21.9% | 37.8% |
| Treutlen County, GA | 6,376 | 76.6 yrs | 12.8% | 42.6% |
| Toombs County, GA | 27,102 | 74.4 yrs | 16.0% | 40.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wheeler County, Georgia has an overall health index grade of D, making it about on par with Georgia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Wheeler County, Georgia.
What is the health grade for Wheeler County, Georgia?
Wheeler County, Georgia has a Map AI Health Index grade of D, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a D grade means residents face somewhat worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
Is Wheeler County, Georgia one of the healthiest counties in Georgia?
Wheeler County ranks 140th 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 Wheeler County, Georgia?
People in Wheeler County, Georgia can expect to live 77.3 years on average, 1.5 years longer than the Georgia average of 75.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Wheeler County, Georgia?
23.6% of residents in Wheeler County, Georgia have no health insurance, about 1 in 4 people, 11.2 points above the Georgia rate of 12.4%.
How common is obesity in Wheeler County, Georgia?
41.7% of adults in Wheeler County, Georgia are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 3.7 points above the Georgia rate of 38.0%.
What is the biggest health concern in Wheeler County, Georgia?
Compared with Georgia as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 26.9%, about 22% higher than the Georgia rate of 22.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wheeler County, Georgia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,627 cigarettes a day, 498,807 a month, or 6.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 182,896 minutes a day and 66.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wheeler County is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.64 lifetimes a year.
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