Health Profile of Black Hawk County, Iowa
Black Hawk 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
Black Hawk County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.1% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.9% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Black Hawk County is 78.0 years, about 1.3 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 5.1%, higher than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.9% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
43,846 residents in Black Hawk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,626 828 men · 1,798 women
- 75–84 6,954 3,067 men · 3,886 women
- 65–74 11,644 5,553 men · 6,091 women
- 50–64 22,622 10,951 men · 11,671 women
Younger residents
27,271 residents in Black Hawk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 8,111 4,086 boys · 4,025 girls
- 7–12 7,993 4,094 boys · 3,899 girls
- 3–7 6,374 3,246 boys · 3,128 girls
- 0–3 4,793 2,379 boys · 2,413 girls
About 7,099 residents in Black Hawk County (5.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.4% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.9% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Black Hawk County is about 20% lower than in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.8% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 22.8% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.8% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Black Hawk County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 191,965 cigarettes a day, 5.8 million a month, or 70.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.1 million minutes a day and 770.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Black Hawk County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 19 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 | Black Hawk County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.91 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Black Hawk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Black Hawk County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Black Hawk County, IA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 130,985 residents against a local median of 20,694. Black Hawk County, IA's uninsured, at 5.1%, runs 35% above the 3.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.4% on uninsured, so Black Hawk County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Black Hawk County, IA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | 78.0 yrs #6/6 | 5.1% #4/6 | 39.9% #6/6 |
| Bremer County, IA | 25,204 | 81.0 yrs | 2.2% | 37.5% |
| Tama County, IA | 16,868 | 79.7 yrs | 6.2% | 37.2% |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | 80.8 yrs | 3.0% | 38.6% |
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | 79.1 yrs | 6.7% | 39.8% |
| Grundy County, IA | 12,384 | 80.7 yrs | 3.8% | 35.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Black Hawk County, Iowa?
Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Black Hawk County ranks 69th 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.
What is the average lifespan in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
People in Black Hawk County, Iowa can expect to live 78.0 years on average, 1.3 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
5.1% of residents in Black Hawk County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, about the same as the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
39.9% of adults in Black Hawk County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.6 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Black Hawk County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 191,965 cigarettes a day, 5.8 million a month, or 70.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.1 million minutes a day and 770.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Black Hawk County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 19 lifetimes a year.
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