Health Profile of Louisiana
Louisiana 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
Louisiana Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Louisiana
- St. Tammany Parish (100% of U.S. avg)
- Ascension Parish (100% of U.S. avg)
- Vernon Parish (100% of U.S. avg)
- East Carroll Parish (91% of U.S. avg)
- Madison Parish (92% of U.S. avg)
- Tensas Parish (93% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Louisiana | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Louisiana is 75.1 years, about 3.2 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 7.8%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.3% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,573,789 residents in Louisiana are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 79,335 27,301 men · 52,033 women
- 75–84 210,596 90,595 men · 120,001 women
- 65–74 423,534 196,075 men · 227,459 women
- 50–64 860,324 415,919 men · 444,406 women
Younger residents
1,025,853 residents in Louisiana are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 322,571 164,487 boys · 158,084 girls
- 7–12 304,251 155,667 boys · 148,584 girls
- 3–7 229,432 117,927 boys · 111,505 girls
- 0–3 169,599 86,725 boys · 82,874 girls
About 286,926 residents in Louisiana (6.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Louisiana | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Louisiana is about 28% higher than in US. The rate of obesity in Louisiana is about 18% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Louisiana | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.5% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Louisiana is about 34% higher than in US. The rate of smoking in Louisiana is about 26% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 8.4 million cigarettes a day, 253.1 million a month, or 3.1 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 92.8 million minutes a day and 33.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Louisiana is 75.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.35 lifetimes a day, or 858 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 | Louisiana | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.40 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Louisiana is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Louisiana Health Compared With Nearby States
Louisiana is typical in size for this group, 4,610,276 residents against a local median of 4,028,385, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Louisiana apart most is uninsured: 7.8%, 22% below the local median of 10.0%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Louisiana sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Louisiana has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 4,610,276 | 75.1 yrs #3/6 | 7.8% #1/6 | 40.3% #4/6 |
| Mississippi | 2,946,497 | 74.7 yrs | 11.0% | 41.8% |
| Arkansas | 3,049,066 | 75.5 yrs | 9.0% | 39.0% |
| Alabama | 5,083,438 | 74.7 yrs | 9.2% | 41.3% |
| Oklahoma | 4,028,385 | 76.5 yrs | 12.9% | 39.0% |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | 74.8 yrs | 10.0% | 37.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Louisiana has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Louisiana.
What is the health grade for Louisiana?
Louisiana 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 Louisiana one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Louisiana ranks 49th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Louisiana?
People in Louisiana can expect to live 75.1 years on average, 3.2 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
What percentage of Louisiana residents are uninsured?
7.8% of residents in Louisiana have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 0.5 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
How common is obesity in Louisiana?
40.3% of adults in Louisiana are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 6.0 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Louisiana?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 33.8%, about 34% higher than the US rate of 25.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Louisiana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 8.4 million cigarettes a day, 253.1 million a month, or 3.1 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 92.8 million minutes a day and 33.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Louisiana is 75.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.35 lifetimes a day, or 858 lifetimes a year.
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