Health Profile of Breathitt County, Kentucky
Breathitt 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
Breathitt County Well below averageLess healthy than 93% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Breathitt County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 70.0 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.2% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 28.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Breathitt County is 70.0 years, about 5.0 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 3.2%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 28.1% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,039 residents in Breathitt County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 171 55 men · 117 women
- 75–84 599 261 men · 338 women
- 65–74 1,357 655 men · 701 women
- 50–64 2,912 1,448 men · 1,464 women
Younger residents
2,673 residents in Breathitt County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 866 460 boys · 406 girls
- 7–12 752 395 boys · 357 girls
- 3–7 588 312 boys · 276 girls
- 0–3 466 252 boys · 214 girls
About 1,343 residents in Breathitt County (10.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 70.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Breathitt County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.6% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.3% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.3% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Breathitt County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Breathitt County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 31.0% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.1% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 37.8% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Breathitt County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 32,421 cigarettes a day, 972,629 a month, or 11.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 356,631 minutes a day and 130.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Breathitt County is 70.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.54 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 | Breathitt County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.51 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Breathitt County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Breathitt County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Breathitt County, KY is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 13,276 residents against a local median of 7,339. Breathitt County, KY sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is life expectancy, 4% below the local median at 70.0 yrs against 72.7 yrs. Breathitt County, KY has the 6th highest life expectancy of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breathitt County, KY | 13,276 | 70.0 yrs #6/6 | 3.2% #4/6 | 42.3% #3/6 |
| Wolfe County, KY | 6,443 | 75.5 yrs | 2.9% | 43.2% |
| Perry County, KY | 27,499 | 71.9 yrs | 2.4% | 41.7% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 11,344 | 72.8 yrs | 3.1% | 42.9% |
| Owsley County, KY | 3,971 | 71.9 yrs | 4.8% | 41.1% |
| Lee County, KY | 7,339 | 72.7 yrs | 5.7% | 42.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Breathitt 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 Breathitt County, Kentucky.
What is the health grade for Breathitt County, Kentucky?
Breathitt 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 Breathitt County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Breathitt County ranks 112th 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 Breathitt County, Kentucky?
People in Breathitt County, Kentucky can expect to live 70.0 years on average, 5.0 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What percentage of Breathitt County, Kentucky residents are uninsured?
3.2% of residents in Breathitt County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 31 people, 2.8 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
How common is obesity in Breathitt County, Kentucky?
42.3% of adults in Breathitt County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.6 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Breathitt County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 32,421 cigarettes a day, 972,629 a month, or 11.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 356,631 minutes a day and 130.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Breathitt County is 70.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.54 lifetimes a year.
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