Health Profile of Howard County, Indiana
Howard 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
Howard County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Howard County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.7% | 7.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.9% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Howard County is 76.0 years, about 1.5 years shorter than the Indiana average of 77.4 years. The uninsured rate is 5.7%, lower than the Indiana average of 7.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.9% of residents, higher than the Indiana average of 17.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
31,989 residents in Howard County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,090 599 men · 1,490 women
- 75–84 4,643 2,080 men · 2,564 women
- 65–74 8,744 3,994 men · 4,751 women
- 50–64 16,511 7,793 men · 8,718 women
Younger residents
18,348 residents in Howard County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,512 2,954 boys · 2,558 girls
- 7–12 5,536 2,842 boys · 2,694 girls
- 3–7 4,256 2,131 boys · 2,125 girls
- 0–3 3,044 1,551 boys · 1,493 girls
About 6,150 residents in Howard County (7.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Howard County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.4% | 11.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.1% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.4% | 38.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Howard County are about the same as in Indiana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Howard County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.5% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.0% | 16.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.2% | 27.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Howard County are about the same as in Indiana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 151,527 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 55.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.7 million minutes a day and 608.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 76.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 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 | Howard County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.24 | 7.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Howard County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Howard County, IN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Howard County, IN is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 83,752 residents against a local median of 35,712. Howard County, IN's uninsured, at 5.7%, runs 18% below the 6.9% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.3% on uninsured, so Howard County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Howard County, IN has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, IN | 83,752 | 76.0 yrs #6/6 | 5.7% #2/6 | 42.4% #5/6 |
| Tipton County, IN | 15,346 | 77.9 yrs | 8.4% | 38.5% |
| Miami County, IN | 35,712 | 76.3 yrs | 6.9% | 39.8% |
| Cass County, IN | 37,680 | 78.3 yrs | 6.6% | 40.4% |
| Clinton County, IN | 32,944 | 77.5 yrs | 7.7% | 43.5% |
| Hamilton County, IN | 365,056 | 81.1 yrs | 4.1% | 30.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Howard County, Indiana has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Indiana, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Howard County, Indiana.
How healthy is Howard County, Indiana?
Howard County, Indiana 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 Howard County, Indiana one of the healthiest counties in Indiana?
Howard County ranks 64th healthiest out of 92 counties in Indiana by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Howard County, Indiana?
People in Howard County, Indiana can expect to live 76.0 years on average, 1.5 years shorter than the Indiana average of 77.4.
What percentage of Howard County, Indiana residents are uninsured?
5.7% of residents in Howard County, Indiana have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 1.7 points below the Indiana rate of 7.4%.
What percentage of Howard County, Indiana residents are obese?
42.4% of adults in Howard County, Indiana are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 3.6 points above the Indiana rate of 38.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Howard County, Indiana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 151,527 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 55.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.7 million minutes a day and 608.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 76.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 lifetimes a year.
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