Health Profile of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans 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
New Orleans Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | New Orleans | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.1% | 7.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.9% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in New Orleans is 75.3 years, about 0.2 years longer than the Louisiana average of 75.1 years. The uninsured rate is 8.1%, higher than the Louisiana average of 7.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.9% of residents, lower than the Louisiana average of 22.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
124,611 residents in New Orleans are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 6,723 2,130 men · 4,593 women
- 75–84 15,341 6,214 men · 9,127 women
- 65–74 32,802 14,871 men · 17,931 women
- 50–64 69,745 33,077 men · 36,669 women
Younger residents
70,071 residents in New Orleans are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 21,574 10,447 boys · 11,127 girls
- 7–12 20,287 10,141 boys · 10,146 girls
- 3–7 15,870 8,139 boys · 7,731 girls
- 0–3 12,340 6,305 boys · 6,036 girls
About 21,558 residents in New Orleans (5.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | New Orleans | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.1% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.1% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.9% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in New Orleans is about 21% lower than in Louisiana. The rate of obesity in New Orleans is about 18% lower than in Louisiana. The rate of cancer in New Orleans is about 17% lower than in Louisiana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | New Orleans | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.5% | 23.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.4% | 18.5% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.3% | 33.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in New Orleans is about 18% lower than in Louisiana. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in New Orleans is about 16% lower than in Louisiana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 582,057 cigarettes a day, 17.5 million a month, or 212.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.4 million minutes a day and 2.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in New Orleans is 75.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.16 lifetimes a day, or 59 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 | New Orleans | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.76 | 7.40 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in New Orleans is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
New Orleans, LA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How New Orleans, LA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 371,664 | 75.3 yrs #1/3 | 8.1% #1/3 | 32.9% #1/3 |
| Chalmette, LA | 23,238 | 74.5 yrs | 10.3% | 38.9% |
| Terrytown, LA | 25,652 | 74.5 yrs | 19.9% | 40.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, New Orleans, Louisiana has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Louisiana, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Is New Orleans, Louisiana a healthy place to live?
New Orleans, 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.
What is the average lifespan in New Orleans, Louisiana?
People in New Orleans, Louisiana can expect to live 75.3 years on average, about the same as the Louisiana average of 75.1.
What percentage of New Orleans, Louisiana residents are uninsured?
8.1% of residents in New Orleans, Louisiana have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, about the same as the Louisiana rate of 7.8%.
What percentage of New Orleans, Louisiana residents are obese?
32.9% of adults in New Orleans, Louisiana are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 7.4 points below the Louisiana rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in New Orleans, Louisiana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 582,057 cigarettes a day, 17.5 million a month, or 212.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.4 million minutes a day and 2.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in New Orleans is 75.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.16 lifetimes a day, or 59 lifetimes a year.
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