Health Profile of Ballard County, Kentucky
Ballard 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
Ballard County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Ballard County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.8% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Ballard County is 75.9 years, about 0.9 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 4.8%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.0% of residents, lower than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,212 residents in Ballard County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 183 62 men · 121 women
- 75–84 467 203 men · 264 women
- 65–74 901 457 men · 444 women
- 50–64 1,661 835 men · 825 women
Younger residents
1,523 residents in Ballard County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 454 228 boys · 226 girls
- 7–12 490 263 boys · 227 girls
- 3–7 358 194 boys · 164 girls
- 0–3 221 112 boys · 109 girls
About 601 residents in Ballard County (7.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Ballard County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.6% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.2% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Ballard County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Ballard County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 24.2% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.8% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.4% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Ballard County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,840 cigarettes a day, 445,204 a month, or 5.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 163,242 minutes a day and 59.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ballard County is 75.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.49 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 | Ballard County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.57 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Ballard County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Ballard County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Ballard County, KY is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,652 residents against a local median of 5,015. Ballard County, KY's uninsured, at 4.8%, runs 22% below the 6.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.8% on uninsured, so Ballard County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ballard County, KY has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard County, KY | 7,652 | 75.9 yrs #2/6 | 4.8% #2/6 | 39.2% #3/6 |
| Carlisle County, KY | 4,760 | 77.1 yrs | 6.1% | 38.8% |
| Pulaski County, IL | 5,015 | 75.2 yrs | 4.7% | 43.2% |
| McCracken County, KY | 67,525 | 74.8 yrs | 5.9% | 39.4% |
| Massac County, IL | 13,864 | 74.8 yrs | 7.8% | 38.3% |
| Alexander County, IL | 4,873 | 74.5 yrs | 9.5% | 43.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ballard County, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Kentucky, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Ballard County, Kentucky.
Is Ballard County, Kentucky a healthy place to live?
Ballard County, Kentucky 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 Ballard County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Ballard County ranks 49th healthiest out of 120 counties in Kentucky by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Ballard County, Kentucky?
People in Ballard County, Kentucky can expect to live 75.9 years on average, 0.9 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What percentage of Ballard County, Kentucky residents are uninsured?
4.8% of residents in Ballard County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 21 people, 1.2 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Ballard County, Kentucky residents are obese?
39.2% of adults in Ballard County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.5 points below the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Ballard County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,840 cigarettes a day, 445,204 a month, or 5.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 163,242 minutes a day and 59.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ballard County is 75.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.49 lifetimes a year.
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