Health Profile of Kentucky
Kentucky 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
Kentucky Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Kentucky
- Oldham County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Boone County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Scott County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Clay County (93% of U.S. avg)
- Bell County (93% of U.S. avg)
- McCreary County (94% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Kentucky is 75.0 years, about 3.3 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.0%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.2% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,606,883 residents in Kentucky are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 75,257 26,620 men · 48,637 women
- 75–84 221,890 94,240 men · 127,650 women
- 65–74 436,331 204,187 men · 232,144 women
- 50–64 873,405 428,390 men · 445,015 women
Younger residents
978,077 residents in Kentucky are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 304,195 154,640 boys · 149,555 girls
- 7–12 291,081 149,984 boys · 141,096 girls
- 3–7 221,410 114,520 boys · 106,890 girls
- 0–3 161,391 82,511 boys · 78,880 girls
About 297,087 residents in Kentucky (6.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Kentucky is about 16% higher than in US. The rate of obesity in Kentucky is about 16% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Kentucky is about 37% higher than in US. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Kentucky is about 35% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 9.1 million cigarettes a day, 274.0 million a month, or 3.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 100.5 million minutes a day and 36.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Kentucky is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.55 lifetimes a day, or 930 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 | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Kentucky is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Kentucky Health Compared With Nearby States
Kentucky is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 4,533,530 residents against a local median of 7,058,506. Kentucky 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 states turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 12% below the local median at 6.0% against 6.9%. Kentucky has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 4,533,530 | 75.0 yrs #5/6 | 6.0% #1/6 | 39.7% #5/6 |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | 74.8 yrs | 10.0% | 37.9% |
| Indiana | 6,845,048 | 77.4 yrs | 7.4% | 38.8% |
| Ohio | 11,799,428 | 77.0 yrs | 6.4% | 38.4% |
| Illinois | 12,692,444 | 77.9 yrs | 6.9% | 36.1% |
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | 76.1 yrs | 6.0% | 40.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Kentucky.
Is Kentucky a healthy place to live?
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 Kentucky one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Kentucky ranks 48th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Kentucky?
People in Kentucky can expect to live 75.0 years on average, 3.3 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
What percentage of Kentucky residents are uninsured?
6.0% of residents in Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 2.4 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
What is the obesity rate in Kentucky?
39.7% of adults in Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.4 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Kentucky?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 26.0%, about 37% higher than the US rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 9.1 million cigarettes a day, 274.0 million a month, or 3.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 100.5 million minutes a day and 36.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Kentucky is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.55 lifetimes a day, or 930 lifetimes a year.
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