Health Profile of Pulaski County, Kentucky
Pulaski 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
Pulaski County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Pulaski County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.1% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.2% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Pulaski County is 74.8 years, about 0.2 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 6.1%, higher than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 24.2% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
25,829 residents in Pulaski County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,448 483 men · 965 women
- 75–84 3,380 1,499 men · 1,881 women
- 65–74 7,315 3,476 men · 3,839 women
- 50–64 13,686 6,533 men · 7,152 women
Younger residents
13,889 residents in Pulaski County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,563 2,412 boys · 2,151 girls
- 7–12 4,050 2,082 boys · 1,968 girls
- 3–7 3,001 1,532 boys · 1,469 girls
- 0–3 2,275 1,212 boys · 1,063 girls
About 4,980 residents in Pulaski County (7.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Pulaski County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.7% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.0% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.7% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Pulaski County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Pulaski County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.3% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.3% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 37.2% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Pulaski County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 134,597 cigarettes a day, 4.0 million a month, or 49.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.5 million minutes a day and 540.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pulaski County is 74.8 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 | Pulaski County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.03 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Pulaski County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Pulaski County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Pulaski County, KY is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 65,897 residents against a local median of 16,867. Where Pulaski County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 21% below the local median of 7.8% at 6.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 7.8% on uninsured, so Pulaski County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pulaski County, KY has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, KY | 65,897 | 74.8 yrs #3/6 | 6.1% #2/6 | 41.7% #5/6 |
| Lincoln County, KY | 24,512 | 73.3 yrs | 7.8% | 41.1% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 16,158 | 72.9 yrs | 6.8% | 41.3% |
| McCreary County, KY | 16,867 | 73.0 yrs | 8.1% | 45.6% |
| Wayne County, KY | 19,602 | 76.3 yrs | 5.2% | 40.8% |
| Casey County, KY | 15,914 | 75.2 yrs | 13.0% | 39.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pulaski 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 Pulaski County, Kentucky.
What is the health grade for Pulaski County, Kentucky?
Pulaski 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 Pulaski County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Pulaski County ranks 78th 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 Pulaski County, Kentucky?
People in Pulaski County, Kentucky can expect to live 74.8 years on average, about the same as the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Pulaski County, Kentucky?
6.1% of residents in Pulaski County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Pulaski County, Kentucky residents are obese?
41.7% of adults in Pulaski County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.0 points above the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Pulaski County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 134,597 cigarettes a day, 4.0 million a month, or 49.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.5 million minutes a day and 540.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pulaski County is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 14 lifetimes a year.
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