Health Profile of Cherokee County, Iowa
Cherokee 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
Cherokee County Around averageHealthier than 72% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.8% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Cherokee County is 80.1 years, about 0.8 years longer than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 4.8%, lower than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.3% of residents, lower than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,271 residents in Cherokee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 493 166 men · 326 women
- 75–84 857 379 men · 478 women
- 65–74 1,393 690 men · 703 women
- 50–64 2,528 1,300 men · 1,228 women
Younger residents
2,327 residents in Cherokee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 763 370 boys · 393 girls
- 7–12 716 360 boys · 357 girls
- 3–7 504 260 boys · 244 girls
- 0–3 343 179 boys · 163 girls
About 890 residents in Cherokee County (7.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.2% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.4% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.7% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.1% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Cherokee County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.2% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.2% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.3% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Cherokee County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,598 cigarettes a day, 437,938 a month, or 5.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 160,577 minutes a day and 58.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cherokee County is 80.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.39 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 | Cherokee County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.21 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Cherokee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Cherokee County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, IA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 11,600 residents against a local median of 16,461. Where Cherokee County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 18% below the local median of 5.9% at 4.8%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.2% on uninsured, so Cherokee County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cherokee County, IA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, IA | 11,600 | 80.1 yrs #2/6 | 4.8% #2/6 | 38.1% #4/6 |
| O'Brien County, IA | 14,126 | 78.7 yrs | 3.0% | 34.3% |
| Ida County, IA | 6,911 | 79.3 yrs | 5.9% | 36.0% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | 80.1 yrs | 6.2% | 31.9% |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | 77.5 yrs | 7.3% | 38.2% |
| Clay County, IA | 16,461 | 80.1 yrs | 5.5% | 40.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Cherokee County, Iowa?
Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Cherokee County ranks 28th 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 Cherokee County, Iowa?
People in Cherokee County, Iowa can expect to live 80.1 years on average, 0.8 years longer than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What percentage of Cherokee County, Iowa residents are uninsured?
4.8% of residents in Cherokee County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 21 people, about the same as the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Cherokee County, Iowa?
38.1% of adults in Cherokee County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.8 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Cherokee County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,598 cigarettes a day, 437,938 a month, or 5.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 160,577 minutes a day and 58.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cherokee County is 80.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.39 lifetimes a year.
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