Health Profile of Jackson County, Kentucky
Jackson 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
Jackson County Below averageLess healthy than 82% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 72.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 26.6% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jackson County is 72.7 years, about 2.3 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 26.6% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,841 residents in Jackson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 166 70 men · 97 women
- 75–84 672 280 men · 392 women
- 65–74 1,328 639 men · 689 women
- 50–64 2,675 1,318 men · 1,357 women
Younger residents
2,919 residents in Jackson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 895 408 boys · 488 girls
- 7–12 874 473 boys · 401 girls
- 3–7 670 375 boys · 295 girls
- 0–3 480 246 boys · 234 girls
About 1,136 residents in Jackson County (8.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 72.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.0% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.9% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.8% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Jackson County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 29.9% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.5% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 36.9% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Jackson County is about 15% higher than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 29,858 cigarettes a day, 895,755 a month, or 10.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 328,443 minutes a day and 119.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jackson County is 72.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.14 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 | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.89 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jackson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jackson County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, KY is typical in size for this group, 13,086 residents against a local median of 14,035, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Jackson County, KY's uninsured, at 5.3%, runs 16% below the 6.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.0% on uninsured, so Jackson County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jackson County, KY has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, KY | 13,086 | 72.7 yrs #3/6 | 5.3% #2/6 | 42.8% #6/6 |
| Estill County, KY | 14,035 | 71.4 yrs | 6.3% | 41.3% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 16,158 | 72.9 yrs | 6.8% | 41.3% |
| Owsley County, KY | 3,971 | 71.9 yrs | 4.8% | 41.1% |
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | 75.1 yrs | 7.8% | 40.4% |
| Lee County, KY | 7,339 | 72.7 yrs | 5.7% | 42.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jackson County, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Kentucky, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jackson County, Kentucky.
How healthy is Jackson County, Kentucky?
Jackson 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 Jackson County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Jackson County ranks 99th 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.
How long do people live in Jackson County, Kentucky?
People in Jackson County, Kentucky can expect to live 72.7 years on average, 2.3 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What percentage of Jackson County, Kentucky residents are uninsured?
5.3% of residents in Jackson County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 0.7 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Jackson County, Kentucky residents are obese?
42.8% of adults in Jackson County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 3.1 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jackson County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 29,858 cigarettes a day, 895,755 a month, or 10.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 328,443 minutes a day and 119.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jackson County is 72.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.14 lifetimes a year.
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