Health Profile of Jefferson County, Kansas
Jefferson 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
Jefferson County Around averageHealthier than 79% of counties in Kansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.4% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.1% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 77.9 years, about 0.8 years shorter than the Kansas average of 78.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.4%, lower than the Kansas average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.1% of residents, lower than the Kansas average of 15.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,588 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 400 135 men · 265 women
- 75–84 967 466 men · 501 women
- 65–74 1,966 990 men · 975 women
- 50–64 4,255 2,138 men · 2,118 women
Younger residents
3,815 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,298 634 boys · 664 girls
- 7–12 1,144 589 boys · 555 girls
- 3–7 809 417 boys · 392 girls
- 0–3 563 281 boys · 283 girls
About 1,012 residents in Jefferson County (5.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jefferson County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.6% | 11.8% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.7% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.6% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Jefferson County are about the same as in Kansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.0% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.3% | 16.5% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.8% | 25.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Jefferson County are about the same as in Kansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,164 cigarettes a day, 814,913 a month, or 9.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 298,801 minutes a day and 109.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.67 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 | Jefferson County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.47 | 6.38 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jefferson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jefferson County, KS Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, KS is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 18,348 residents against a local median of 83,123. The measure that sets Jefferson County, KS apart most is uninsured: 5.4%, 34% below the local median of 8.2%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.7% on uninsured, so Jefferson County, KS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, KS has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, KS | 18,348 | 77.9 yrs #3/6 | 5.4% #1/6 | 37.6% #3/6 |
| Atchison County, KS | 16,208 | 76.9 yrs | 8.8% | 35.9% |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 83,123 | 77.2 yrs | 6.1% | 38.6% |
| Douglas County, KS | 120,302 | 80.1 yrs | 8.2% | 30.1% |
| Shawnee County, KS | 178,025 | 77.5 yrs | 8.6% | 37.9% |
| Jackson County, KS | 13,341 | 79.4 yrs | 7.2% | 38.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson County, Kansas has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Kansas, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jefferson County, Kansas.
Is Jefferson County, Kansas a healthy place to live?
Jefferson County, Kansas 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 Jefferson County, Kansas one of the healthiest counties in Kansas?
Jefferson County ranks 23rd healthiest out of 105 counties in Kansas by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Jefferson County, Kansas?
People in Jefferson County, Kansas can expect to live 77.9 years on average, 0.8 years shorter than the Kansas average of 78.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Jefferson County, Kansas?
5.4% of residents in Jefferson County, Kansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 3.4 points below the Kansas rate of 8.8%.
What percentage of Jefferson County, Kansas residents are obese?
37.6% of adults in Jefferson County, Kansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Kansas rate of 37.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Kansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,164 cigarettes a day, 814,913 a month, or 9.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 298,801 minutes a day and 109.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.67 lifetimes a year.
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