Health Profile of Wayne County, Iowa
Wayne 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.
-
C
Wayne County Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wayne County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.8% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.7% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 78.6 years, about 0.6 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2 years. The uninsured rate is 12.8%, higher than the Iowa average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.7% of residents, higher than the Iowa average of 13.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,755 residents in Wayne County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 213 75 men · 139 women
- 75–84 529 222 men · 307 women
- 65–74 738 378 men · 360 women
- 50–64 1,274 668 men · 606 women
Younger residents
1,543 residents in Wayne County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 447 225 boys · 222 girls
- 7–12 458 229 boys · 229 girls
- 3–7 371 190 boys · 181 girls
- 0–3 267 144 boys · 123 girls
About 539 residents in Wayne County (8.3% 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 | Wayne County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.8% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.4% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.2% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.2% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Wayne County is about 27% higher than in Iowa. The rate of diabetes in Wayne County is about 21% higher than in Iowa.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wayne County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.5% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.8% | 20.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.1% | 25.4% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Wayne County is about 23% higher than in Iowa. The rate of smoking in Wayne County is about 22% higher than in Iowa.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,382 cigarettes a day, 311,467 a month, or 3.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 114,204 minutes a day and 41.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wayne County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.01 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 | Wayne County | Iowa Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.32 | 6.49 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wayne County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Wayne County, IA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, IA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,531 residents against a local median of 7,759. The measure that sets Wayne County, IA apart most is uninsured: 12.8%, 42% above the local median of 9.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves sit within 2.0% of each other on uninsured, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Wayne County, IA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Wayne County, IA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, IA | 6,531 | 78.6 yrs #3/6 | 12.8% #6/6 | 39.2% #4/6 |
| Lucas County, IA | 8,716 | 77.3 yrs | 8.0% | 36.6% |
| Mercer County, MO | 3,482 | 76.4 yrs | 9.2% | 36.4% |
| Putnam County, MO | 4,642 | 83.3 yrs | 9.6% | 36.7% |
| Appanoose County, IA | 12,184 | 76.9 yrs | 9.0% | 40.2% |
| Decatur County, IA | 7,759 | 78.7 yrs | 7.6% | 39.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wayne County, Iowa has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Iowa, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Wayne County, Iowa.
How healthy is Wayne County, Iowa?
Wayne County, Iowa has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Wayne County, Iowa one of the healthiest counties in Iowa?
Wayne County ranks 98th 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 Wayne County, Iowa?
People in Wayne County, Iowa can expect to live 78.6 years on average, 0.6 years shorter than the Iowa average of 79.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Wayne County, Iowa?
12.8% of residents in Wayne County, Iowa have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 7.8 points above the Iowa rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Wayne County, Iowa?
39.2% of adults in Wayne County, Iowa are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.9 points above the Iowa rate of 37.3%.
What health issue is more common in Wayne County, Iowa than elsewhere?
Compared with Iowa as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 31.1%, about 23% higher than the Iowa rate of 25.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wayne County, Iowa go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,382 cigarettes a day, 311,467 a month, or 3.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 114,204 minutes a day and 41.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wayne County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.01 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →