Health Profile of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
Ouachita Parish 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
Ouachita Parish Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.4% | 7.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.0% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Ouachita Parish is 74.5 years, about 0.6 years shorter than the Louisiana average of 75.1 years. The uninsured rate is 7.4%, lower than the Louisiana average of 7.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 24.0% of residents, higher than the Louisiana average of 22.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
51,123 residents in Ouachita Parish are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,908 1,045 men · 1,863 women
- 75–84 6,996 2,853 men · 4,142 women
- 65–74 13,393 5,864 men · 7,529 women
- 50–64 27,827 13,414 men · 14,412 women
Younger residents
37,166 residents in Ouachita Parish are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 11,848 6,127 boys · 5,721 girls
- 7–12 11,077 5,570 boys · 5,507 girls
- 3–7 8,190 4,102 boys · 4,088 girls
- 0–3 6,052 3,079 boys · 2,973 girls
About 10,458 residents in Ouachita Parish (6.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.1% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.9% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 43.6% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Ouachita Parish are about the same as in Louisiana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.4% | 23.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.7% | 18.5% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 35.6% | 33.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Ouachita Parish are about the same as in Louisiana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 279,141 cigarettes a day, 8.4 million a month, or 101.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.1 million minutes a day and 1.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ouachita Parish is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 29 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 | Ouachita Parish | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.67 | 7.40 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Ouachita Parish is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Ouachita Parish, LA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Ouachita Parish, LA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 158,478 residents against a local median of 19,819. Ouachita Parish, LA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 9% above the local median at 7.4% against 6.8%. Ouachita Parish, LA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 158,478 | 74.5 yrs #2/6 | 7.4% #4/6 | 43.6% #6/6 |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 9,498 | 74.3 yrs | 6.0% | 38.4% |
| Richland Parish, LA | 19,819 | 74.5 yrs | 6.8% | 42.7% |
| Union Parish, LA | 20,797 | 73.7 yrs | 9.9% | 38.9% |
| Jackson Parish, LA | 14,881 | 75.3 yrs | 7.7% | 42.6% |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 24,551 | 71.7 yrs | 5.6% | 43.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ouachita Parish, 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 Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.
What is the health grade for Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
Ouachita Parish, 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 Ouachita Parish, Louisiana one of the healthiest counties in Louisiana?
Ouachita Parish ranks 42nd healthiest out of 64 counties in Louisiana by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
People in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana can expect to live 74.5 years on average, 0.6 years shorter than the Louisiana average of 75.1.
What percentage of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana residents are uninsured?
7.4% of residents in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, about the same as the Louisiana rate of 7.8%.
What percentage of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana residents are obese?
43.6% of adults in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 3.3 points above the Louisiana rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 279,141 cigarettes a day, 8.4 million a month, or 101.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.1 million minutes a day and 1.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ouachita Parish is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 29 lifetimes a year.
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