Health Profile of Monroe County, Iowa
Monroe 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.
-
B
Monroe County Around averageLess healthy than 84% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Monroe County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.6% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.4% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Monroe County is 76.5 years, about 2.8 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 3.6%, lower than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.4% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,072 residents in Monroe County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 228 91 men · 137 women
- 75–84 431 184 men · 247 women
- 65–74 811 400 men · 410 women
- 50–64 1,602 816 men · 786 women
Younger residents
1,673 residents in Monroe County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 545 246 boys · 299 girls
- 7–12 497 254 boys · 243 girls
- 3–7 365 190 boys · 175 girls
- 0–3 266 127 boys · 139 girls
About 589 residents in Monroe County (7.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Monroe County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.8% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.7% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.1% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Monroe County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Monroe County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.1% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.2% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.9% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Monroe County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,465 cigarettes a day, 313,963 a month, or 3.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 115,120 minutes a day and 42.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Monroe County is 76.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.05 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 | Monroe County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.54 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Monroe County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Monroe County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Monroe County, IA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,513 residents against a local median of 22,021. The measure that sets Monroe County, IA apart most is uninsured: 3.6%, 52% below the local median of 7.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.6% on uninsured, so Monroe County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monroe County, IA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, IA | 7,513 | 76.5 yrs #6/6 | 3.6% #2/6 | 38.1% #4/6 |
| Appanoose County, IA | 12,184 | 76.9 yrs | 9.0% | 40.2% |
| Mahaska County, IA | 22,021 | 78.2 yrs | 4.7% | 35.6% |
| Marion County, IA | 33,642 | 78.7 yrs | 2.5% | 33.4% |
| Lucas County, IA | 8,716 | 77.3 yrs | 8.0% | 36.6% |
| Wapello County, IA | 35,362 | 77.3 yrs | 7.3% | 39.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Monroe 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 Monroe County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Monroe County, Iowa?
Monroe 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 Monroe County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Monroe County ranks 83rd 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 Monroe County, Iowa?
People in Monroe County, Iowa can expect to live 76.5 years on average, 2.8 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What percentage of Monroe County, Iowa residents are uninsured?
3.6% of residents in Monroe County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 28 people, 1.5 points below the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Monroe County, Iowa?
38.1% of adults in Monroe 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 Monroe County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,465 cigarettes a day, 313,963 a month, or 3.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 115,120 minutes a day and 42.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Monroe County is 76.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.05 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →