Health Profile of Van Buren County, Iowa
Van Buren 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
Van Buren County Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 17.4% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.5% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Van Buren County is 79.1 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 17.4%, higher than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.5% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,166 residents in Van Buren County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 200 88 men · 112 women
- 75–84 503 237 men · 266 women
- 65–74 934 449 men · 484 women
- 50–64 1,530 773 men · 756 women
Younger residents
1,546 residents in Van Buren County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 470 241 boys · 229 girls
- 7–12 449 237 boys · 213 girls
- 3–7 358 191 boys · 167 girls
- 0–3 268 140 boys · 128 girls
About 473 residents in Van Buren County (6.5% 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 | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.5% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.0% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.1% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Van Buren County are about the same as in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.4% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.6% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.8% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Van Buren County are about the same as in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,704 cigarettes a day, 321,133 a month, or 3.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 117,749 minutes a day and 43.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Van Buren County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.03 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 | Van Buren County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.63 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Van Buren County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Van Buren County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Van Buren County, IA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,241 residents against a local median of 9,157. Van Buren County, IA's uninsured, at 17.4%, runs 59% above the 10.9% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 34.3% on uninsured, so Van Buren County, IA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Van Buren County, IA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, IA | 7,241 | 79.1 yrs #4/6 | 17.4% #4/6 | 37.1% #3/6 |
| Jefferson County, IA | 15,705 | 80.3 yrs | 6.7% | 32.1% |
| Scotland County, MO | 4,686 | 73.6 yrs | 39.0% | 38.2% |
| Clark County, MO | 6,675 | 76.9 yrs | 10.9% | 39.3% |
| Davis County, IA | 9,157 | 80.5 yrs | 25.1% | 38.1% |
| Henry County, IA | 20,002 | 79.8 yrs | 4.7% | 36.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Van Buren County, Iowa has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Iowa, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Van Buren County, Iowa.
What is the health grade for Van Buren County, Iowa?
Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Van Buren County ranks 95th 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 Van Buren County, Iowa?
People in Van Buren County, Iowa can expect to live 79.1 years on average, about the same as the Iowa average of 79.2.
How many people lack health insurance in Van Buren County, Iowa?
17.4% of residents in Van Buren County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 6 people, 12.4 points above the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Van Buren County, Iowa?
37.1% of adults in Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,704 cigarettes a day, 321,133 a month, or 3.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 117,749 minutes a day and 43.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Van Buren County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.03 lifetimes a year.
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