Health Profile of Whitley County, Kentucky
Whitley 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
Whitley County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Whitley County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 71.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.2% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Whitley County is 71.7 years, about 3.3 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0 years. The uninsured rate is 6.2%, higher than the Kentucky average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.8% of residents, higher than the Kentucky average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
12,239 residents in Whitley County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 619 207 men · 412 women
- 75–84 1,649 724 men · 925 women
- 65–74 3,364 1,583 men · 1,781 women
- 50–64 6,606 3,178 men · 3,429 women
Younger residents
8,917 residents in Whitley County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,754 1,451 boys · 1,303 girls
- 7–12 2,565 1,390 boys · 1,175 girls
- 3–7 2,022 1,084 boys · 938 girls
- 0–3 1,577 828 boys · 749 girls
About 3,425 residents in Whitley County (9.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 71.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Whitley County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.0% | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.5% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.7% | 39.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Whitley County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Whitley County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.3% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.2% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.6% | 34.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Whitley County are about the same as in Kentucky.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 71,668 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 26.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 788,344 minutes a day and 287.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Whitley County is 71.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.64 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 | Whitley County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.67 | 7.19 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Whitley County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Whitley County, KY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Whitley County, KY is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 36,920 residents against a local median of 29,865. Whitley County, KY's uninsured, at 6.2%, runs 23% below the 8.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 36.7% against a local median of 44.8%, 18% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Whitley County, KY is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 3.4% on uninsured, so Whitley County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Whitley County, KY has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | 71.7 yrs #6/6 | 6.2% #2/6 | 36.7% #1/6 |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | 73.5 yrs | 8.6% | 47.3% |
| McCreary County, KY | 16,867 | 73.0 yrs | 8.1% | 45.6% |
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | 75.1 yrs | 7.8% | 40.4% |
| Campbell County, TN | 39,761 | 72.8 yrs | 8.7% | 38.5% |
| Bell County, KY | 23,509 | 74.2 yrs | 5.3% | 44.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Whitley 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 Whitley County, Kentucky.
Is Whitley County, Kentucky a healthy place to live?
Whitley 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 Whitley County, Kentucky one of the healthiest counties in Kentucky?
Whitley County ranks 74th 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 life expectancy in Whitley County, Kentucky?
People in Whitley County, Kentucky can expect to live 71.7 years on average, 3.3 years shorter than the Kentucky average of 75.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Whitley County, Kentucky?
6.2% of residents in Whitley County, Kentucky have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the Kentucky rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Whitley County, Kentucky residents are obese?
36.7% of adults in Whitley County, Kentucky are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.0 points below the Kentucky rate of 39.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Whitley County, Kentucky go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 71,668 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 26.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 788,344 minutes a day and 287.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Whitley County is 71.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.64 lifetimes a year.
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