Health Profile of Union County, Illinois
Union 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
Union County Around averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Union County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.4% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.0% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Union County is 76.7 years, about 1.1 years shorter than the Illinois average of 77.9 years. The uninsured rate is 6.4%, lower than the Illinois average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.0% of residents, higher than the Illinois average of 15.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,074 residents in Union County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 498 218 men · 280 women
- 75–84 1,149 495 men · 654 women
- 65–74 1,971 924 men · 1,047 women
- 50–64 3,455 1,772 men · 1,683 women
Younger residents
3,450 residents in Union County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,154 590 boys · 564 girls
- 7–12 1,017 531 boys · 487 girls
- 3–7 743 389 boys · 354 girls
- 0–3 535 272 boys · 264 girls
About 1,408 residents in Union County (8.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Union County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.5% | 10.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.8% | 7.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.6% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Union County are about the same as in Illinois.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Union County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.3% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.4% | 14.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.3% | 26.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Union County are about the same as in Illinois.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,161 cigarettes a day, 814,842 a month, or 9.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 298,775 minutes a day and 109.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Union County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.70 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 | Union County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.69 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Union County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Union County, IL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, IL is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,997 residents against a local median of 13,376. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Union County, IL an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 11% below the local median at 36.6% against 41.1%. Union County, IL has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, IL | 16,997 | 76.7 yrs #2/6 | 6.4% #4/6 | 36.6% #2/6 |
| Pulaski County, IL | 5,015 | 75.2 yrs | 4.7% | 43.2% |
| Alexander County, IL | 4,873 | 74.5 yrs | 9.5% | 43.8% |
| Jackson County, IL | 53,061 | 76.5 yrs | 6.3% | 36.6% |
| Johnson County, IL | 13,376 | 77.4 yrs | 8.1% | 41.1% |
| Williamson County, IL | 66,874 | 76.5 yrs | 4.6% | 33.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Union County, Illinois has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Illinois, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Union County, Illinois.
Is Union County, Illinois a healthy place to live?
Union County, Illinois 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 Union County, Illinois one of the healthiest counties in Illinois?
Union County ranks 79th healthiest out of 102 counties in Illinois by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Union County, Illinois?
People in Union County, Illinois can expect to live 76.7 years on average, 1.1 years shorter than the Illinois average of 77.9.
How many people lack health insurance in Union County, Illinois?
6.4% of residents in Union County, Illinois have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the Illinois rate of 6.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Union County, Illinois?
36.6% of adults in Union County, Illinois are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.5 points above the Illinois rate of 36.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Union County, Illinois go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,161 cigarettes a day, 814,842 a month, or 9.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 298,775 minutes a day and 109.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Union County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.70 lifetimes a year.
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