Health Profile of Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Pottawattamie 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
Pottawattamie County Around averageLess healthy than 70% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Pottawattamie County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.0% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.8% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Pottawattamie County is 78.6 years, about 0.7 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is about the same as in Iowa, at 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.8% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
34,630 residents in Pottawattamie County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,947 685 men · 1,261 women
- 75–84 4,979 2,095 men · 2,884 women
- 65–74 9,175 4,335 men · 4,840 women
- 50–64 18,530 9,111 men · 9,419 women
Younger residents
20,474 residents in Pottawattamie County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,448 3,286 boys · 3,162 girls
- 7–12 6,179 3,267 boys · 2,912 girls
- 3–7 4,605 2,425 boys · 2,180 girls
- 0–3 3,242 1,642 boys · 1,600 girls
About 4,876 residents in Pottawattamie County (5.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Pottawattamie County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.1% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.5% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.2% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Pottawattamie County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Pottawattamie County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.6% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 22.0% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.0% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Pottawattamie County is about 17% higher than in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 148,353 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 54.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.6 million minutes a day and 595.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pottawattamie County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 14 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 | Pottawattamie County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.57 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Pottawattamie County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Pottawattamie County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Pottawattamie County, IA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 93,423 residents against a local median of 11,778. Where Pottawattamie County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 43% above the local median of 3.5% at 5.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.4% on uninsured, so Pottawattamie County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pottawattamie County, IA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 93,423 | 78.6 yrs #2/6 | 5.0% #6/6 | 40.2% #4/6 |
| Mills County, IA | 14,568 | 76.3 yrs | 2.7% | 35.6% |
| Shelby County, IA | 11,778 | 79.1 yrs | 2.3% | 38.6% |
| Harrison County, IA | 14,632 | 77.2 yrs | 4.7% | 40.5% |
| Montgomery County, IA | 10,214 | 77.9 yrs | 3.7% | 41.7% |
| Fremont County, IA | 6,514 | 77.5 yrs | 3.5% | 38.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
Is Pottawattamie County, Iowa a healthy place to live?
Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Pottawattamie County ranks 70th 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 Pottawattamie County, Iowa?
People in Pottawattamie County, Iowa can expect to live 78.6 years on average, 0.7 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
How many people lack health insurance in Pottawattamie County, Iowa?
5.0% of residents in Pottawattamie County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, about the same as the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Pottawattamie County, Iowa?
40.2% of adults in Pottawattamie County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.9 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Pottawattamie County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 148,353 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 54.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.6 million minutes a day and 595.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pottawattamie County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 14 lifetimes a year.
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