Health Profile of Shelby County, Iowa
Shelby 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
Shelby County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Shelby County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.3% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.1% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 79.1 years, about 0.2 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 2.3%, lower than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.1% of residents, lower than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,098 residents in Shelby County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 451 173 men · 278 women
- 75–84 845 388 men · 457 women
- 65–74 1,287 616 men · 671 women
- 50–64 2,514 1,256 men · 1,259 women
Younger residents
2,568 residents in Shelby County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 843 401 boys · 442 girls
- 7–12 781 412 boys · 370 girls
- 3–7 565 323 boys · 243 girls
- 0–3 378 211 boys · 168 girls
About 898 residents in Shelby County (7.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Shelby County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.8% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.3% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.6% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.6% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Shelby County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Shelby County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.5% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.3% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.1% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Shelby County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,981 cigarettes a day, 449,415 a month, or 5.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 164,786 minutes a day and 60.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Shelby County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.45 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 | Shelby 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 Shelby County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Shelby County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Shelby County, IA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 11,778 residents against a local median of 14,632. Where Shelby County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 50% below the local median of 4.7% at 2.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.1% on uninsured, so Shelby County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Shelby County, IA has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, IA | 11,778 | 79.1 yrs #1/6 | 2.3% #1/6 | 38.6% #3/6 |
| Crawford County, IA | 16,277 | 78.4 yrs | 8.8% | 41.4% |
| Audubon County, IA | 5,599 | 77.5 yrs | 3.7% | 35.9% |
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 93,423 | 78.6 yrs | 5.0% | 40.2% |
| Harrison County, IA | 14,632 | 77.2 yrs | 4.7% | 40.5% |
| Cass County, IA | 13,096 | 77.6 yrs | 4.1% | 34.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Shelby 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 Shelby County, Iowa.
How healthy is Shelby County, Iowa?
Shelby 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 Shelby County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Shelby County ranks 50th 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 Shelby County, Iowa?
People in Shelby County, Iowa can expect to live 79.1 years on average, about the same as the Iowa average of 79.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Shelby County, Iowa?
2.3% of residents in Shelby County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 43 people, 2.7 points below the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Shelby County, Iowa?
38.6% of adults in Shelby County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.3 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Shelby County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,981 cigarettes a day, 449,415 a month, or 5.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 164,786 minutes a day and 60.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Shelby County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.45 lifetimes a year.
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