Health Profile of Mills County, Iowa
Mills 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
Mills County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mills County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.7% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mills County is 76.3 years, about 3.0 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 2.7%, lower 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
5,751 residents in Mills County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 359 138 men · 221 women
- 75–84 699 324 men · 375 women
- 65–74 1,521 759 men · 761 women
- 50–64 3,173 1,578 men · 1,594 women
Younger residents
3,184 residents in Mills County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,012 509 boys · 502 girls
- 7–12 1,011 501 boys · 510 girls
- 3–7 710 356 boys · 353 girls
- 0–3 452 233 boys · 219 girls
About 948 residents in Mills County (6.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mills County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.8% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.3% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.6% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mills County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mills County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.4% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.6% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.4% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mills County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 19,606 cigarettes a day, 588,168 a month, or 7.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 215,662 minutes a day and 78.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mills County is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 1.96 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 | Mills County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.43 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mills County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mills County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mills County, IA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 14,568 residents against a local median of 27,161. Where Mills County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 42% below the local median of 4.7% at 2.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.5% on uninsured, so Mills County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mills County, IA has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mills County, IA | 14,568 | 76.3 yrs #6/6 | 2.7% #1/6 | 35.6% #2/6 |
| Fremont County, IA | 6,514 | 77.5 yrs | 3.5% | 38.6% |
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 93,423 | 78.6 yrs | 5.0% | 40.2% |
| Montgomery County, IA | 10,214 | 77.9 yrs | 3.7% | 41.7% |
| Sarpy County, NE | 197,392 | 80.2 yrs | 4.7% | 33.6% |
| Cass County, NE | 27,161 | 78.8 yrs | 6.0% | 38.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mills 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 Mills County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Mills County, Iowa?
Mills 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 Mills County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Mills County ranks 47th 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 Mills County, Iowa?
People in Mills County, Iowa can expect to live 76.3 years on average, 3.0 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
How many people lack health insurance in Mills County, Iowa?
2.7% of residents in Mills County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 37 people, 2.3 points below the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What percentage of Mills County, Iowa residents are obese?
35.6% of adults in Mills County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points below the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mills County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 19,606 cigarettes a day, 588,168 a month, or 7.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 215,662 minutes a day and 78.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mills County is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 1.96 lifetimes a year.
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