Health Profile of Laurel County, Kentucky
Laurel 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
Laurel County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.8% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.9% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Laurel County is 75.1 years, about 0.1 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 7.8%, higher than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.9% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
22,252 residents in Laurel County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 932 312 men · 620 women
- 75–84 2,923 1,246 men · 1,678 women
- 65–74 6,063 2,876 men · 3,186 women
- 50–64 12,334 6,283 men · 6,051 women
Younger residents
13,674 residents in Laurel County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,842 2,007 boys · 1,834 girls
- 7–12 4,199 2,116 boys · 2,083 girls
- 3–7 3,356 1,680 boys · 1,676 girls
- 0–3 2,278 1,196 boys · 1,083 girls
About 3,825 residents in Laurel County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.7% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.0% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.4% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Laurel County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 28.4% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.4% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 34.8% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Laurel County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 138,134 cigarettes a day, 4.1 million a month, or 50.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.5 million minutes a day and 554.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Laurel County is 75.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 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 | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.98 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Laurel County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Laurel County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Laurel County, KY is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 62,983 residents against a local median of 19,921. Laurel County, KY's uninsured, at 7.8%, runs 26% above the 6.2% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.4% on uninsured, so Laurel County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Laurel County, KY has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | 75.1 yrs #1/6 | 7.8% #5/6 | 40.4% #2/6 |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 16,158 | 72.9 yrs | 6.8% | 41.3% |
| Jackson County, KY | 13,086 | 72.7 yrs | 5.3% | 42.8% |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | 73.5 yrs | 8.6% | 47.3% |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | 71.7 yrs | 6.2% | 36.7% |
| Clay County, KY | 19,921 | 72.4 yrs | 5.2% | 43.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Laurel County, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Kentucky, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Laurel County, Kentucky.
How healthy is Laurel County, Kentucky?
Laurel 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 Laurel County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Laurel County ranks 70th 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 Laurel County, Kentucky?
People in Laurel County, Kentucky can expect to live 75.1 years on average, about the same as the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Laurel County, Kentucky?
7.8% of residents in Laurel County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 1.8 points above the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Laurel County, Kentucky?
40.4% of adults in Laurel County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 0.7 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Laurel County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 138,134 cigarettes a day, 4.1 million a month, or 50.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.5 million minutes a day and 554.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Laurel County is 75.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 14 lifetimes a year.
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