Health Profile of Knox County, Kentucky
Knox 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
Knox County Well below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.6% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 30.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Knox County is 73.5 years, about 1.5 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 8.6%, higher than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 30.8% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,712 residents in Knox County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 553 136 men · 417 women
- 75–84 1,541 696 men · 846 women
- 65–74 2,895 1,302 men · 1,593 women
- 50–64 5,722 2,712 men · 3,011 women
Younger residents
6,758 residents in Knox County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,034 1,040 boys · 994 girls
- 7–12 2,036 1,022 boys · 1,014 girls
- 3–7 1,565 778 boys · 787 girls
- 0–3 1,123 562 boys · 561 girls
About 2,516 residents in Knox County (8.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.4% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.9% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 47.3% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Knox County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of diabetes in Knox County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of heart disease in Knox County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 32.7% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.8% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 40.5% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Knox County is about 26% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Knox County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 74,595 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 27.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 820,548 minutes a day and 299.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Knox County is 73.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.76 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 | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.64 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Knox County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Knox County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Knox County, KY is typical in size for this group, 29,865 residents against a local median of 32,466, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Knox County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 39% above the local median of 6.2% at 8.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 47.3% against a local median of 40.4%, 17% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Knox County, KY reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Knox County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Knox County, KY has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | 73.5 yrs #4/6 | 8.6% #5/6 | 47.3% #6/6 |
| Bell County, KY | 23,509 | 74.2 yrs | 5.3% | 44.8% |
| Clay County, KY | 19,921 | 72.4 yrs | 5.2% | 43.9% |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | 71.7 yrs | 6.2% | 36.7% |
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | 75.1 yrs | 7.8% | 40.4% |
| Claiborne County, TN | 32,466 | 73.6 yrs | 9.1% | 36.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Knox 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 Knox County, Kentucky.
Is Knox County, Kentucky a healthy place to live?
Knox 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 Knox County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Knox County ranks 116th 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 Knox County, Kentucky?
People in Knox County, Kentucky can expect to live 73.5 years on average, 1.5 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Knox County, Kentucky?
8.6% of residents in Knox County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 2.6 points above the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Knox County, Kentucky?
47.3% of adults in Knox County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 7.6 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
Which health problem stands out most in Knox County, Kentucky?
Compared with Kentucky as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 32.7%, about 26% higher than the Kentucky rate of 26.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Knox County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 74,595 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 27.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 820,548 minutes a day and 299.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Knox County is 73.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.76 lifetimes a year.
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