Health Profile of Nelson County, Kentucky
Nelson 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
Nelson County Around averageHealthier than 89% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Nelson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.0% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.7% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Nelson County is 75.8 years, about 0.8 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 5.0%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.7% of residents, lower than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
16,740 residents in Nelson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 821 235 men · 586 women
- 75–84 1,938 817 men · 1,121 women
- 65–74 4,464 2,131 men · 2,333 women
- 50–64 9,517 4,720 men · 4,797 women
Younger residents
10,781 residents in Nelson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,161 1,722 boys · 1,439 girls
- 7–12 3,304 1,726 boys · 1,578 girls
- 3–7 2,566 1,369 boys · 1,197 girls
- 0–3 1,750 971 boys · 779 girls
About 2,547 residents in Nelson County (5.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Nelson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.6% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.3% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Nelson County is about 20% lower than in Kentucky. The rate of diabetes in Nelson County is about 18% lower than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Nelson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.5% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.2% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.0% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Nelson County is about 17% lower than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 78,845 cigarettes a day, 2.4 million a month, or 28.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 867,290 minutes a day and 316.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nelson County is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.94 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 | Nelson County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.57 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Nelson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Nelson County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Nelson County, KY is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 47,606 residents against a local median of 19,749. Where Nelson County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 30% above the local median of 3.9% at 5.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.2% on uninsured, so Nelson County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Nelson County, KY has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, KY | 47,606 | 75.8 yrs #5/6 | 5.0% #5/6 | 38.3% #2/6 |
| Spencer County, KY | 20,193 | 76.8 yrs | 3.9% | 36.4% |
| Bullitt County, KY | 84,027 | 77.1 yrs | 2.8% | 38.5% |
| Washington County, KY | 12,140 | 76.8 yrs | 11.0% | 39.8% |
| Marion County, KY | 19,749 | 76.3 yrs | 3.1% | 39.7% |
| Larue County, KY | 15,088 | 74.7 yrs | 4.2% | 41.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Nelson 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 Nelson County, Kentucky.
How healthy is Nelson County, Kentucky?
Nelson 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 Nelson County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Nelson County ranks 14th 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 Nelson County, Kentucky?
People in Nelson County, Kentucky can expect to live 75.8 years on average, 0.8 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What percentage of Nelson County, Kentucky residents are uninsured?
5.0% of residents in Nelson County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 1.0 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Nelson County, Kentucky residents are obese?
38.3% of adults in Nelson County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.3 points below the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Nelson County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 78,845 cigarettes a day, 2.4 million a month, or 28.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 867,290 minutes a day and 316.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nelson County is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.94 lifetimes a year.
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