Health Profile of Idaho
Idaho 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
Idaho Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Idaho
- Madison County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Latah County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Ada County (103% of U.S. avg)
- Shoshone County (98% of U.S. avg)
- Washington County (98% of U.S. avg)
- Lincoln County (98% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Idaho | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Idaho is 79.5 years, about 1.2 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 9.1%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.6% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
626,353 residents in Idaho are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 31,487 11,956 men · 19,532 women
- 75–84 84,277 39,012 men · 45,265 women
- 65–74 168,699 82,624 men · 86,075 women
- 50–64 341,890 172,428 men · 169,462 women
Younger residents
460,243 residents in Idaho are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 145,971 75,360 boys · 70,612 girls
- 7–12 139,510 71,693 boys · 67,816 girls
- 3–7 102,232 52,429 boys · 49,803 girls
- 0–3 72,530 37,204 boys · 35,326 girls
About 70,848 residents in Idaho (3.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Idaho | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Idaho are about the same as in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Idaho | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.1% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Idaho are about the same as in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 2.6 million cigarettes a day, 77.5 million a month, or 942.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 28.4 million minutes a day and 10.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Idaho is 79.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.68 lifetimes a day, or 248 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 | Idaho | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.67 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Idaho is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Idaho Health Compared With Nearby States
Idaho is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 1,929,983 residents against a local median of 3,390,702. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes Idaho an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 9% above the local median at 34.1% against 31.4%. Idaho has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 1,929,983 | 79.5 yrs #3/6 | 9.1% #5/6 | 34.1% #6/6 |
| Nevada | 3,183,702 | 78.7 yrs | 11.4% | 32.6% |
| Montana | 1,116,812 | 79.0 yrs | 8.6% | 31.4% |
| Utah | 3,390,702 | 80.0 yrs | 8.4% | 29.5% |
| Oregon | 4,252,306 | 78.8 yrs | 5.9% | 30.7% |
| Washington | 7,801,159 | 79.6 yrs | 6.3% | 32.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Idaho has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Idaho.
How healthy is Idaho?
Idaho 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 Idaho one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Idaho ranks 23rd healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Idaho?
People in Idaho can expect to live 79.5 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Idaho?
9.1% of residents in Idaho have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 0.7 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
What percentage of Idaho residents are obese?
34.1% of adults in Idaho are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Idaho go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 2.6 million cigarettes a day, 77.5 million a month, or 942.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 28.4 million minutes a day and 10.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Idaho is 79.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.68 lifetimes a day, or 248 lifetimes a year.
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