Health Profile of Buchanan County, Iowa
Buchanan 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
Buchanan County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.7% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Buchanan County is 79.1 years, about 0.2 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 6.7%, higher than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.3% of residents, lower than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,618 residents in Buchanan County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 454 149 men · 305 women
- 75–84 1,110 499 men · 611 women
- 65–74 2,060 1,008 men · 1,052 women
- 50–64 3,993 2,016 men · 1,978 women
Younger residents
5,220 residents in Buchanan County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,772 910 boys · 862 girls
- 7–12 1,534 795 boys · 739 girls
- 3–7 1,093 567 boys · 526 girls
- 0–3 821 421 boys · 400 girls
About 1,034 residents in Buchanan County (5.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.1% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.5% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.8% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Buchanan County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Buchanan County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.6% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 22.9% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.9% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Buchanan County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,231 cigarettes a day, 816,935 a month, or 9.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 299,543 minutes a day and 109.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Buchanan County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.63 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 | Buchanan 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 Buchanan County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Buchanan County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Buchanan County, IA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 20,694 residents against a local median of 25,722. Where Buchanan County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 63% above the local median of 4.1% at 6.7%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.6% on uninsured, so Buchanan County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Buchanan County, IA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan County, IA | 20,694 | 79.1 yrs #3/6 | 6.7% #6/6 | 39.8% #5/6 |
| Fayette County, IA | 16,443 | 78.4 yrs | 5.6% | 38.4% |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | 80.8 yrs | 3.0% | 38.6% |
| Linn County, IA | 230,016 | 79.3 yrs | 4.1% | 37.3% |
| Delaware County, IA | 17,558 | 78.7 yrs | 3.3% | 39.6% |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | 78.0 yrs | 5.1% | 39.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Buchanan 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 Buchanan County, Iowa.
Is Buchanan County, Iowa a healthy place to live?
Buchanan 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 Buchanan County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Buchanan County ranks 46th 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 Buchanan County, Iowa?
People in Buchanan County, Iowa can expect to live 79.1 years on average, about the same as the Iowa average of 79.2.
What percentage of Buchanan County, Iowa residents are uninsured?
6.7% of residents in Buchanan County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 1.7 points above the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Buchanan County, Iowa?
39.8% of adults in Buchanan County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.5 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Buchanan County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,231 cigarettes a day, 816,935 a month, or 9.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 299,543 minutes a day and 109.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Buchanan County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.63 lifetimes a year.
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