Health Profile of Lee County, Kentucky
Lee 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
Lee County Well below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 72.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.7% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 31.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lee County is 72.7 years, about 2.3 years shorter 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 31.8% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,847 residents in Lee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 118 23 men · 95 women
- 75–84 362 166 men · 195 women
- 65–74 794 394 men · 399 women
- 50–64 1,574 824 men · 750 women
Younger residents
1,349 residents in Lee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 415 226 boys · 189 girls
- 7–12 413 220 boys · 194 girls
- 3–7 306 161 boys · 146 girls
- 0–3 215 97 boys · 117 girls
About 648 residents in Lee County (8.8% 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 | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 16.2% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 10.5% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.4% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Lee County is about 27% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of diabetes in Lee County is about 25% higher than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 34.2% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.0% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 41.7% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Lee County is about 31% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Lee County is about 23% higher than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 20,531 cigarettes a day, 615,922 a month, or 7.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 225,838 minutes a day and 82.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lee County is 72.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.16 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 | Lee County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.68 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lee County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, KY is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,339 residents against a local median of 13,038. Nothing separates Lee County, KY sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 8% above the local median at 5.7% against 5.3%. Lee County, KY has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, KY | 7,339 | 72.7 yrs #2/6 | 5.7% #5/6 | 42.4% #4/6 |
| Owsley County, KY | 3,971 | 71.9 yrs | 4.8% | 41.1% |
| Powell County, KY | 13,038 | 70.8 yrs | 5.7% | 37.5% |
| Wolfe County, KY | 6,443 | 75.5 yrs | 2.9% | 43.2% |
| Estill County, KY | 14,035 | 71.4 yrs | 6.3% | 41.3% |
| Jackson County, KY | 13,086 | 72.7 yrs | 5.3% | 42.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lee 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 Lee County, Kentucky.
Is Lee County, Kentucky a healthy place to live?
Lee 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 Lee County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Lee County ranks 117th 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 Lee County, Kentucky?
People in Lee County, Kentucky can expect to live 72.7 years on average, 2.3 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Lee County, Kentucky?
5.7% of residents in Lee County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, about the same as the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Lee County, Kentucky?
42.4% of adults in Lee County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.7 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
What health issue is more common in Lee County, Kentucky than elsewhere?
Compared with Kentucky as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 34.2%, about 31% higher than the Kentucky rate of 26.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lee County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 20,531 cigarettes a day, 615,922 a month, or 7.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 225,838 minutes a day and 82.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lee County is 72.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.16 lifetimes a year.
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