Health Profile of Clay County, Iowa
Clay 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
Clay County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Clay County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.5% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Clay County is 80.1 years, about 0.8 years longer than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 5.5%, higher than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.4% of residents, lower than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,866 residents in Clay County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 602 233 men · 370 women
- 75–84 1,036 430 men · 606 women
- 65–74 1,808 850 men · 959 women
- 50–64 3,419 1,673 men · 1,746 women
Younger residents
3,576 residents in Clay County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,109 505 boys · 605 girls
- 7–12 1,093 562 boys · 531 girls
- 3–7 804 432 boys · 372 girls
- 0–3 571 292 boys · 279 girls
About 1,060 residents in Clay County (6.4% 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 | Clay County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.5% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.7% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.2% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.0% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Clay County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Clay County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.9% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.2% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.9% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Clay County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 21,296 cigarettes a day, 638,887 a month, or 7.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 234,259 minutes a day and 85.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Clay County is 80.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.03 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 | Clay County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.87 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Clay County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Clay County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Clay County, IA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,461 residents against a local median of 14,126. Clay County, IA's uninsured, at 5.5%, runs 16% above the 4.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.6% on uninsured, so Clay County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Clay County, IA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, IA | 16,461 | 80.1 yrs #2/6 | 5.5% #4/6 | 40.0% #6/6 |
| Dickinson County, IA | 17,990 | 79.9 yrs | 2.6% | 35.7% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | 80.1 yrs | 6.2% | 31.9% |
| Palo Alto County, IA | 8,863 | 78.4 yrs | 4.8% | 37.4% |
| O'Brien County, IA | 14,126 | 78.7 yrs | 3.0% | 34.3% |
| Emmet County, IA | 9,262 | 77.8 yrs | 5.8% | 38.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa.
Is Clay County, Iowa a healthy place to live?
Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Clay County ranks 33rd 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 life expectancy in Clay County, Iowa?
People in Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa residents are uninsured?
5.5% of residents in Clay County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 0.5 points above the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What percentage of Clay County, Iowa residents are obese?
40.0% of adults in Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 21,296 cigarettes a day, 638,887 a month, or 7.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 234,259 minutes a day and 85.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Clay County is 80.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.03 lifetimes a year.
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