Health Profile of Tama County, Iowa
Tama 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
Tama County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.2% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.3% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Tama County is 79.7 years, about 0.4 years longer than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 6.2%, higher 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
6,725 residents in Tama County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 554 179 men · 375 women
- 75–84 954 437 men · 517 women
- 65–74 1,830 889 men · 941 women
- 50–64 3,387 1,706 men · 1,681 women
Younger residents
3,837 residents in Tama County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,209 621 boys · 588 girls
- 7–12 1,163 595 boys · 567 girls
- 3–7 861 446 boys · 416 girls
- 0–3 605 309 boys · 296 girls
About 1,007 residents in Tama County (6.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.2% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Tama County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.7% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.5% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.7% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Tama County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 24,079 cigarettes a day, 722,370 a month, or 8.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 264,869 minutes a day and 96.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Tama County is 79.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.31 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 | Tama County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.68 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Tama County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Tama County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Tama County, IA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,868 residents against a local median of 25,722. Where Tama County, IA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 61% above the local median of 3.9% at 6.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.8% on uninsured, so Tama County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Tama County, IA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tama County, IA | 16,868 | 79.7 yrs #3/6 | 6.2% #6/6 | 37.2% #3/6 |
| Poweshiek County, IA | 18,545 | 79.0 yrs | 3.9% | 36.1% |
| Grundy County, IA | 12,384 | 80.7 yrs | 3.8% | 35.7% |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | 78.0 yrs | 5.1% | 39.9% |
| Benton County, IA | 25,722 | 80.8 yrs | 3.0% | 38.6% |
| Marshall County, IA | 40,114 | 79.0 yrs | 5.8% | 38.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Tama 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 Tama County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Tama County, Iowa?
Tama 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 Tama County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Tama County ranks 67th 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 Tama County, Iowa?
People in Tama County, Iowa can expect to live 79.7 years on average, about the same as the Iowa average of 79.2.
How many people lack health insurance in Tama County, Iowa?
6.2% of residents in Tama County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, 1.2 points above the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Tama County, Iowa?
37.2% of adults in Tama 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 Tama County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 24,079 cigarettes a day, 722,370 a month, or 8.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 264,869 minutes a day and 96.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Tama County is 79.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.31 lifetimes a year.
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