Health Profile of Pocahontas County, Iowa
Pocahontas 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
Pocahontas County Around averageLess healthy than 83% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.6% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.5% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Pocahontas County is 77.6 years, about 1.6 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 7.6%, higher than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.5% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,174 residents in Pocahontas County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 278 99 men · 179 women
- 75–84 512 217 men · 295 women
- 65–74 821 414 men · 408 women
- 50–64 1,563 804 men · 759 women
Younger residents
1,467 residents in Pocahontas County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 467 240 boys · 227 girls
- 7–12 425 211 boys · 214 girls
- 3–7 333 161 boys · 171 girls
- 0–3 242 114 boys · 128 girls
About 630 residents in Pocahontas County (8.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.8% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.5% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.4% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.9% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Pocahontas County is about 15% higher than in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.8% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.7% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.8% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Pocahontas County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 9,634 cigarettes a day, 289,007 a month, or 3.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 105,969 minutes a day and 38.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pocahontas County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.95 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 | Pocahontas County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.00 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Pocahontas County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Pocahontas County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Pocahontas County, IA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,046 residents against a local median of 9,689. Pocahontas County, IA's uninsured, at 7.6%, runs 59% 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 1.9% on uninsured, so Pocahontas County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pocahontas County, IA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County, IA | 7,046 | 77.6 yrs #6/6 | 7.6% #6/6 | 36.9% #3/6 |
| Palo Alto County, IA | 8,863 | 78.4 yrs | 4.8% | 37.4% |
| Calhoun County, IA | 9,803 | 78.7 yrs | 4.4% | 39.0% |
| Buena Vista County, IA | 20,753 | 80.1 yrs | 6.2% | 31.9% |
| Humboldt County, IA | 9,591 | 81.2 yrs | 5.8% | 36.7% |
| Sac County, IA | 9,689 | 79.7 yrs | 4.8% | 40.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Pocahontas County, Iowa?
Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Pocahontas County ranks 82nd 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 Pocahontas County, Iowa?
People in Pocahontas County, Iowa can expect to live 77.6 years on average, 1.6 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
7.6% of residents in Pocahontas County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 2.6 points above the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
36.9% of adults in Pocahontas County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Pocahontas County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 9,634 cigarettes a day, 289,007 a month, or 3.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 105,969 minutes a day and 38.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pocahontas County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.95 lifetimes a year.
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