Health Profile of Benton County, Iowa
Benton 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
Benton County Around averageHealthier than 84% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Benton County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.0% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Benton County is 80.8 years, about 1.5 years longer than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 3.0%, lower than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.4% of residents, lower than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,374 residents in Benton County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 702 238 men · 463 women
- 75–84 1,507 676 men · 830 women
- 65–74 2,517 1,280 men · 1,236 women
- 50–64 5,649 2,937 men · 2,712 women
Younger residents
5,518 residents in Benton County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,799 926 boys · 873 girls
- 7–12 1,639 827 boys · 812 girls
- 3–7 1,205 608 boys · 597 girls
- 0–3 875 460 boys · 415 girls
About 1,193 residents in Benton County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Benton County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.6% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.4% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.6% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Benton County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Benton County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.0% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.3% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.5% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Benton County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 35,742 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 393,166 minutes a day and 143.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Benton County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.38 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 | Benton County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.13 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Benton County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Benton County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Benton County, IA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 25,722 residents against a local median of 20,694. Where Benton County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 40% below the local median of 5.1% at 3.0%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.4% on uninsured, so Benton County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Benton County, IA has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | 80.8 yrs #1/6 | 3.0% #1/6 | 38.6% #3/6 |
| Iowa County, IA | 16,507 | 79.9 yrs | 3.2% | 39.6% |
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | 79.1 yrs | 6.7% | 39.8% |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | 78.0 yrs | 5.1% | 39.9% |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | 79.3 yrs | 4.1% | 37.3% |
| Tama County, IA | 16,868 | 79.7 yrs | 6.2% | 37.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Benton County, Iowa has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Iowa, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Benton County, Iowa.
How healthy is Benton County, Iowa?
Benton County, Iowa 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 Benton County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Benton County ranks 17th healthiest out of 99 counties in Iowa by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Benton County, Iowa?
People in Benton County, Iowa can expect to live 80.8 years on average, 1.5 years longer than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Benton County, Iowa?
3.0% of residents in Benton County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 33 people, 2.0 points below the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Benton County, Iowa?
38.6% of adults in Benton County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.3 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Benton County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 35,742 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 393,166 minutes a day and 143.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Benton County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.38 lifetimes a year.
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