Health Profile of Riley County, Kansas
Riley 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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A
Riley County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Kansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Riley County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.9 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.0% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.0% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Riley County is 80.9 years, about 2.3 years longer than the Kansas average of 78.6 years. The uninsured rate is 7.0%, lower than the Kansas average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.0% of residents, lower than the Kansas average of 15.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
14,496 residents in Riley County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 917 356 men · 560 women
- 75–84 1,863 795 men · 1,068 women
- 65–74 3,669 1,780 men · 1,889 women
- 50–64 8,048 4,041 men · 4,007 women
Younger residents
11,694 residents in Riley County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,113 1,515 boys · 1,598 girls
- 7–12 3,246 1,657 boys · 1,589 girls
- 3–7 2,916 1,492 boys · 1,424 girls
- 0–3 2,419 1,238 boys · 1,182 girls
About 1,455 residents in Riley County (2.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Riley County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.3% | 11.8% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 3.7% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 3.7% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 29.1% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Riley County is about 52% lower than in Kansas. The rate of cancer in Riley County is about 51% lower than in Kansas. The rate of diabetes in Riley County is about 47% lower than in Kansas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Riley County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.1% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 22.5% | 16.5% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.2% | 25.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Riley County is about 36% higher than in Kansas. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Riley County is about 25% lower than in Kansas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 97,035 cigarettes a day, 2.9 million a month, or 35.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 389.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Riley County is 80.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.16 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 | Riley County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.06 | 6.38 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Riley County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Riley County, KS Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Riley County, KS is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 71,946 residents against a local median of 18,445. The measure that sets Riley County, KS apart most is uninsured: 7.0%, 22% above the local median of 5.7%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 29.1% against a local median of 36.3%, 20% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: obesity runs ahead of the neighbourhood while uninsured runs behind it, so Riley County, KS is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 4.2% on uninsured, so Riley County, KS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Riley County, KS has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riley County, KS | 71,946 | 80.9 yrs #1/6 | 7.0% #4/6 | 29.1% #1/6 |
| Geary County, KS | 35,815 | 77.0 yrs | 7.7% | 36.3% |
| Pottawatomie County, KS | 26,203 | 79.8 yrs | 4.7% | 34.8% |
| Clay County, KS | 8,048 | 78.2 yrs | 5.7% | 39.1% |
| Marshall County, KS | 9,993 | 79.0 yrs | 5.1% | 36.3% |
| Dickinson County, KS | 18,445 | 78.0 yrs | 8.9% | 37.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Riley County, Kansas has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than Kansas, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Riley County, Kansas.
How healthy is Riley County, Kansas?
Riley County, Kansas has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Riley County, Kansas one of the healthiest counties in Kansas?
Riley County ranks 2nd 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 Riley County, Kansas?
People in Riley County, Kansas can expect to live 80.9 years on average, 2.3 years longer than the Kansas average of 78.6.
What percentage of Riley County, Kansas residents are uninsured?
7.0% of residents in Riley County, Kansas have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 1.8 points below the Kansas rate of 8.8%.
What percentage of Riley County, Kansas residents are obese?
29.1% of adults in Riley County, Kansas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 8.1 points below the Kansas rate of 37.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Riley County, Kansas?
Compared with Kansas as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 22.5%, about 36% higher than the Kansas rate of 16.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Riley County, Kansas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 97,035 cigarettes a day, 2.9 million a month, or 35.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 389.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Riley County is 80.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.16 lifetimes a year.
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