Health Profile of Spencer County, Kentucky
Spencer 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
Spencer County Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Spencer County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.9% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Spencer County is 76.8 years, about 1.8 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 3.9%, lower than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.1% of residents, lower than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,064 residents in Spencer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 194 70 men · 124 women
- 75–84 699 349 men · 351 women
- 65–74 1,728 868 men · 860 women
- 50–64 4,443 2,215 men · 2,227 women
Younger residents
4,536 residents in Spencer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,487 739 boys · 748 girls
- 7–12 1,353 707 boys · 646 girls
- 3–7 978 518 boys · 461 girls
- 0–3 718 362 boys · 356 girls
About 729 residents in Spencer County (3.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Spencer County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.8% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.4% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Spencer County is about 28% lower than in Kentucky. The rate of diabetes in Spencer County is about 25% lower than in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Spencer County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.4% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.5% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Spencer County is about 22% lower than in Kentucky. The rate of smoking in Spencer County is about 18% lower than in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 33,515 cigarettes a day, 1.0 million a month, or 12.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 368,661 minutes a day and 134.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Spencer County is 76.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.33 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 | Spencer County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.91 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Spencer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Spencer County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Spencer County, KY is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 20,193 residents against a local median of 47,606. Spencer County, KY's uninsured, at 3.9%, runs 30% below the 5.5% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.6% on uninsured, so Spencer County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Spencer County, KY has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer County, KY | 20,193 | 76.8 yrs #2/6 | 3.9% #1/6 | 36.4% #2/6 |
| Shelby County, KY | 49,096 | 78.3 yrs | 5.5% | 38.4% |
| Nelson County, KY | 47,606 | 75.8 yrs | 5.0% | 38.3% |
| Washington County, KY | 12,140 | 76.8 yrs | 11.0% | 39.8% |
| Anderson County, KY | 24,353 | 75.9 yrs | 4.5% | 35.9% |
| Jefferson County, KY | 781,949 | 76.0 yrs | 5.7% | 36.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Spencer County, Kentucky has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Kentucky, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Spencer County, Kentucky.
What is the health grade for Spencer County, Kentucky?
Spencer 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 Spencer County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Spencer County ranks 5th 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 Spencer County, Kentucky?
People in Spencer County, Kentucky can expect to live 76.8 years on average, 1.8 years longer than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
What percentage of Spencer County, Kentucky residents are uninsured?
3.9% of residents in Spencer County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 26 people, 2.1 points below the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Spencer County, Kentucky?
36.4% of adults in Spencer County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.3 points below the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Spencer County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 33,515 cigarettes a day, 1.0 million a month, or 12.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 368,661 minutes a day and 134.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Spencer County is 76.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.33 lifetimes a year.
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