Health Profile of Letcher County, Kentucky
Letcher 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
Letcher County Well below averageLess healthy than 95% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Letcher County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 72.9 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.4% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 29.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Letcher County is 72.9 years, about 2.1 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 3.4%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 29.4% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,435 residents in Letcher County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 306 136 men · 170 women
- 75–84 1,164 478 men · 686 women
- 65–74 2,436 1,136 men · 1,300 women
- 50–64 4,530 2,220 men · 2,310 women
Younger residents
4,297 residents in Letcher County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,465 825 boys · 640 girls
- 7–12 1,250 679 boys · 571 girls
- 3–7 885 455 boys · 430 girls
- 0–3 697 363 boys · 334 girls
About 1,928 residents in Letcher County (9.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 72.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Letcher County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.4% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.8% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 45.1% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Letcher County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky. The rate of diabetes in Letcher County is about 19% higher than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Letcher County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 31.3% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.2% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 38.7% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Letcher County is about 20% higher than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 50,843 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 18.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 559,269 minutes a day and 204.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Letcher County is 72.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.33 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 | Letcher County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.12 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Letcher County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Letcher County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Letcher County, KY is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 20,808 residents against a local median of 26,635. Letcher County, KY sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 8% above the local median at 45.1% against 41.8%. Letcher County, KY has the 5th lowest obesity of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | 72.9 yrs #4/5 | 3.4% #3/5 | 45.1% #5/5 |
| Knott County, KY | 13,830 | 73.8 yrs | 2.4% | 41.8% |
| Wise County, VA | 35,431 | 74.0 yrs | 6.5% | 37.5% |
| Perry County, KY | 27,499 | 71.9 yrs | 2.4% | 41.7% |
| Harlan County, KY | 25,771 | 73.1 yrs | 4.9% | 45.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Letcher 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 Letcher County, Kentucky.
Is Letcher County, Kentucky a healthy place to live?
Letcher 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 Letcher County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Letcher County ranks 114th 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 Letcher County, Kentucky?
People in Letcher County, Kentucky can expect to live 72.9 years on average, 2.1 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Letcher County, Kentucky?
3.4% of residents in Letcher County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 29 people, 2.6 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Letcher County, Kentucky?
45.1% of adults in Letcher County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 5.4 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
Which health problem stands out most in Letcher County, Kentucky?
Compared with Kentucky as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 31.3%, about 20% higher than the Kentucky rate of 26.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Letcher County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 50,843 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 18.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 559,269 minutes a day and 204.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Letcher County is 72.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.33 lifetimes a year.
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