Health Profile of O'Brien County, Iowa
O'Brien 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
O'Brien County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | O'Brien County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.0% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.1% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in O'Brien County is 78.7 years, about 0.5 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 3.0%, lower than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.1% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,656 residents in O'Brien County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 643 207 men · 437 women
- 75–84 893 378 men · 515 women
- 65–74 1,361 651 men · 710 women
- 50–64 2,758 1,393 men · 1,365 women
Younger residents
3,250 residents in O'Brien County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 928 455 boys · 473 girls
- 7–12 989 503 boys · 486 girls
- 3–7 778 401 boys · 377 girls
- 0–3 555 282 boys · 273 girls
About 1,203 residents in O'Brien County (8.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | O'Brien County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.9% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.3% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.0% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.3% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in O'Brien County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | O'Brien County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.4% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.1% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.7% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in O'Brien County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 18,556 cigarettes a day, 556,695 a month, or 6.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 204,121 minutes a day and 74.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in O'Brien County is 78.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.80 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 | O'Brien County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.01 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in O'Brien County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
O'Brien County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
O'Brien County, IA is typical in size for this group, 14,126 residents against a local median of 16,461, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. O'Brien County, IA's uninsured, at 3.0%, runs 45% below the 5.5% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.4% on uninsured, so O'Brien County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. O'Brien County, IA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Brien County, IA | 14,126 | 78.7 yrs #6/6 | 3.0% #2/6 | 34.3% #1/6 |
| Osceola County, IA | 6,100 | 82.1 yrs | 8.0% | 39.2% |
| Cherokee County, IA | 11,600 | 80.1 yrs | 4.8% | 38.1% |
| Clay County, IA | 16,461 | 80.1 yrs | 5.5% | 40.0% |
| Sioux County, IA | 36,212 | 82.2 yrs | 5.8% | 34.3% |
| Dickinson County, IA | 17,990 | 79.9 yrs | 2.6% | 35.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, O'Brien 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 O'Brien County, Iowa.
Is O'Brien County, Iowa a healthy place to live?
O'Brien 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 O'Brien County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
O'Brien County ranks 51st 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 O'Brien County, Iowa?
People in O'Brien County, Iowa can expect to live 78.7 years on average, 0.5 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What percentage of O'Brien County, Iowa residents are uninsured?
3.0% of residents in O'Brien County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 33 people, 2.0 points below the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What percentage of O'Brien County, Iowa residents are obese?
34.3% of adults in O'Brien County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.0 points below the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in O'Brien County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 18,556 cigarettes a day, 556,695 a month, or 6.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 204,121 minutes a day and 74.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in O'Brien County is 78.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.80 lifetimes a year.
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