Health Profile of Gem County, Idaho
Gem 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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C
Gem County Below averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Gem County | Idaho Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.1% | 9.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.0% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Gem County is 77.5 years, about 2.0 years shorter than the Idaho average of 79.5 years. The uninsured rate is 11.1%, higher than the Idaho average of 9.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.0% of residents, higher than the Idaho average of 15.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,471 residents in Gem County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 344 161 men · 183 women
- 75–84 1,434 708 men · 726 women
- 65–74 2,560 1,260 men · 1,299 women
- 50–64 4,133 2,009 men · 2,125 women
Younger residents
4,578 residents in Gem County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,556 860 boys · 696 girls
- 7–12 1,372 732 boys · 641 girls
- 3–7 961 491 boys · 470 girls
- 0–3 689 357 boys · 333 girls
About 1,316 residents in Gem County (6.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Gem County | Idaho Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 10.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.7% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.0% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.1% | 34.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Gem County are about the same as in Idaho.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Gem County | Idaho Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.5% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.3% | 14.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.8% | 24.1% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Gem County are about the same as in Idaho.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 29,822 cigarettes a day, 894,660 a month, or 10.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 328,042 minutes a day and 119.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Gem County is 77.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.94 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 | Gem County | Idaho Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.84 | 4.67 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Gem County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Gem County, ID Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Gem County, ID is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 20,614 residents against a local median of 26,771. The measure that sets Gem County, ID apart most is uninsured: 11.1%, 24% above the local median of 9.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.8% on uninsured, so Gem County, ID sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Gem County, ID has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem County, ID | 20,614 | 77.5 yrs #6/6 | 11.1% #5/6 | 33.1% #2/6 |
| Payette County, ID | 26,771 | 79.0 yrs | 7.1% | 35.9% |
| Canyon County, ID | 250,790 | 77.9 yrs | 12.3% | 38.4% |
| Washington County, ID | 11,141 | 78.5 yrs | 9.0% | 37.1% |
| Ada County, ID | 518,902 | 79.6 yrs | 6.4% | 27.9% |
| Boise County, ID | 8,309 | 81.6 yrs | 9.3% | 34.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Gem County, Idaho has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Idaho, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Gem County, Idaho.
How healthy is Gem County, Idaho?
Gem County, Idaho 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 Gem County, Idaho one of the healthiest counties in Idaho?
Gem County ranks 34th healthiest out of 42 counties in Idaho by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Gem County, Idaho?
People in Gem County, Idaho can expect to live 77.5 years on average, 2.0 years shorter than the Idaho average of 79.5.
What percentage of Gem County, Idaho residents are uninsured?
11.1% of residents in Gem County, Idaho have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 2.0 points above the Idaho rate of 9.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Gem County, Idaho?
33.1% of adults in Gem County, Idaho are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.0 points below the Idaho rate of 34.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Gem County, Idaho go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 29,822 cigarettes a day, 894,660 a month, or 10.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 328,042 minutes a day and 119.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Gem County is 77.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.94 lifetimes a year.
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