Health Profile of Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes 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
Wilkes County Below averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in Georgia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 15.3% | 12.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.7% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wilkes County is 75.6 years, about 0.3 years shorter than the Georgia average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 15.3%, higher than the Georgia average of 12.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.7% of residents, higher than the Georgia average of 20.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,089 residents in Wilkes County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 225 77 men · 148 women
- 75–84 735 302 men · 433 women
- 65–74 1,162 518 men · 644 women
- 50–64 1,968 919 men · 1,049 women
Younger residents
1,948 residents in Wilkes County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 576 341 boys · 235 girls
- 7–12 582 294 boys · 288 girls
- 3–7 458 229 boys · 230 girls
- 0–3 331 184 boys · 146 girls
About 912 residents in Wilkes County (9.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17.1% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.3% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.7% | 38.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Wilkes County is about 26% higher than in Georgia. The rate of heart disease in Wilkes County is about 23% higher than in Georgia. The rate of cancer in Wilkes County is about 18% higher than in Georgia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.9% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.4% | 14.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.8% | 30.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Wilkes County is about 15% lower than in Georgia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 17,497 cigarettes a day, 524,912 a month, or 6.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 192,468 minutes a day and 70.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wilkes County is 75.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.77 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 | Wilkes County | Georgia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.43 | 7.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wilkes County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Wilkes County, GA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Wilkes County, GA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 9,549 residents against a local median of 7,854. Wilkes County, GA's uninsured, at 15.3%, runs 42% above the 10.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.6% on uninsured, so Wilkes County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wilkes County, GA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County, GA | 9,549 | 75.6 yrs #4/6 | 15.3% #6/6 | 39.7% #3/6 |
| Taliaferro County, GA | 1,558 | 75.6 yrs | 10.6% | 41.1% |
| Lincoln County, GA | 7,854 | 76.4 yrs | 12.3% | 40.9% |
| Elbert County, GA | 19,849 | 73.7 yrs | 12.2% | 37.0% |
| Oglethorpe County, GA | 15,509 | 76.2 yrs | 10.8% | 36.2% |
| Warren County, GA | 5,170 | 71.8 yrs | 7.7% | 42.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wilkes County, Georgia has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Georgia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Wilkes County, Georgia.
How healthy is Wilkes County, Georgia?
Wilkes 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 Wilkes County, Georgia one of the healthiest counties in Georgia?
Wilkes County ranks 123rd 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 Wilkes County, Georgia?
People in Wilkes County, Georgia can expect to live 75.6 years on average, about the same as the Georgia average of 75.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Wilkes County, Georgia?
15.3% of residents in Wilkes County, Georgia have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 2.9 points above the Georgia rate of 12.4%.
What is the obesity rate in Wilkes County, Georgia?
39.7% of adults in Wilkes County, Georgia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points above the Georgia rate of 38.0%.
Which health problem stands out most in Wilkes County, Georgia?
Compared with Georgia as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 17.2%, about 26% higher than the Georgia rate of 13.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wilkes County, Georgia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 17,497 cigarettes a day, 524,912 a month, or 6.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 192,468 minutes a day and 70.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wilkes County is 75.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.77 lifetimes a year.
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