Health Profile of Bell County, Kentucky
Bell 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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D
Bell County Well below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 31.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Bell County is 74.2 years, about 0.8 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 5.3%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 31.4% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
9,064 residents in Bell County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 470 118 men · 353 women
- 75–84 1,175 541 men · 634 women
- 65–74 2,530 1,180 men · 1,351 women
- 50–64 4,888 2,404 men · 2,484 women
Younger residents
4,704 residents in Bell County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,465 769 boys · 696 girls
- 7–12 1,345 705 boys · 641 girls
- 3–7 1,067 554 boys · 512 girls
- 0–3 827 423 boys · 405 girls
About 1,815 residents in Bell County (7.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 16.2% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 10.4% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 44.8% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Bell County is about 26% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of diabetes in Bell County is about 25% higher than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 33.2% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.5% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 42.0% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Bell County is about 27% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Bell County is about 24% higher than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 60,930 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 22.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 670,235 minutes a day and 244.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bell County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.27 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 | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.49 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Bell County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Bell County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Bell County, KY is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 23,509 residents against a local median of 29,865. Nothing separates Bell County, KY sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 15% below the local median at 5.3% against 6.2%. Bell County, KY has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County, KY | 23,509 | 74.2 yrs #1/6 | 5.3% #3/6 | 44.8% #5/6 |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | 73.5 yrs | 8.6% | 47.3% |
| Claiborne County, TN | 32,466 | 73.6 yrs | 9.1% | 36.5% |
| Clay County, KY | 19,921 | 72.4 yrs | 5.2% | 43.9% |
| Leslie County, KY | 10,079 | 74.0 yrs | 2.3% | 42.2% |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | 71.7 yrs | 6.2% | 36.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Bell County, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of D, making it about on par with Kentucky, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Bell County, Kentucky.
How healthy is Bell County, Kentucky?
Bell County, Kentucky has a Map AI Health Index grade of D, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a D grade means residents face somewhat worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
Is Bell County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Bell County ranks 119th 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 average lifespan in Bell County, Kentucky?
People in Bell County, Kentucky can expect to live 74.2 years on average, 0.8 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Bell County, Kentucky?
5.3% of residents in Bell County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 0.7 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
How common is obesity in Bell County, Kentucky?
44.8% of adults in Bell County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 5.1 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
What health issue is more common in Bell County, Kentucky than elsewhere?
Compared with Kentucky as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 33.2%, about 27% higher than the Kentucky rate of 26.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Bell County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 60,930 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 22.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 670,235 minutes a day and 244.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bell County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.27 lifetimes a year.
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