Health Profile of Jefferson County, Kentucky
Jefferson 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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B
Jefferson County Around averageHealthier than 88% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.7% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.0 years, about 1.0 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 5.7%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.1% of residents, lower than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
270,250 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 14,692 5,371 men · 9,321 women
- 75–84 36,320 14,781 men · 21,539 women
- 65–74 71,714 32,390 men · 39,324 women
- 50–64 147,524 70,504 men · 77,019 women
Younger residents
165,805 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 51,464 25,976 boys · 25,488 girls
- 7–12 48,216 24,893 boys · 23,322 girls
- 3–7 37,428 19,344 boys · 18,084 girls
- 0–3 28,697 14,575 boys · 14,122 girls
About 46,473 residents in Jefferson County (5.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jefferson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.8% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.9% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Jefferson County is about 18% lower than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.7% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.4% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Jefferson County is about 24% lower than in Kentucky. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Jefferson County is about 16% lower than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.2 million cigarettes a day, 35.9 million a month, or 436.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.2 million minutes a day and 4.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.33 lifetimes a day, or 120 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 | Jefferson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.61 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jefferson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jefferson County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, KY is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 781,949 residents against a local median of 80,920. The measure that sets Jefferson County, KY apart most is uninsured: 5.7%, 47% above the local median of 3.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Jefferson County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, KY has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, KY | 781,949 | 76.0 yrs #5/6 | 5.7% #5/6 | 36.9% #3/6 |
| Bullitt County, KY | 84,027 | 77.1 yrs | 2.8% | 38.5% |
| Floyd County, IN | 80,920 | 76.2 yrs | 4.6% | 36.7% |
| Clark County, IN | 124,346 | 75.3 yrs | 6.7% | 39.2% |
| Oldham County, KY | 69,249 | 79.8 yrs | 3.2% | 37.1% |
| Spencer County, KY | 20,193 | 76.8 yrs | 3.9% | 36.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson County, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Kentucky, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Is Jefferson County, Kentucky a healthy place to live?
Jefferson County, Kentucky has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Jefferson County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Jefferson County ranks 15th 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 Jefferson County, Kentucky?
People in Jefferson County, Kentucky can expect to live 76.0 years on average, 1.0 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Jefferson County, Kentucky?
5.7% of residents in Jefferson County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, about the same as the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Jefferson County, Kentucky residents are obese?
36.9% of adults in Jefferson County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.8 points below the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.2 million cigarettes a day, 35.9 million a month, or 436.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.2 million minutes a day and 4.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.33 lifetimes a day, or 120 lifetimes a year.
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