Health Profile of Knox County, Maine
Knox 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
Knox County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.6% | 6.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.3% | 13.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Knox County is 78.9 years, about 0.6 years longer than the Maine average of 78.2 years. The uninsured rate is 5.6%, lower than the Maine average of 6.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.3% of residents, lower than the Maine average of 13.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
19,136 residents in Knox County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,064 386 men · 678 women
- 75–84 3,110 1,371 men · 1,739 women
- 65–74 5,757 2,728 men · 3,030 women
- 50–64 9,205 4,441 men · 4,764 women
Younger residents
6,856 residents in Knox County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,327 1,362 boys · 965 girls
- 7–12 2,103 1,074 boys · 1,029 girls
- 3–7 1,453 700 boys · 753 girls
- 0–3 973 506 boys · 467 girls
About 2,795 residents in Knox County (6.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Knox County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.7% | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.2% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.3% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.2% | 32.2% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Knox County are about the same as in Maine.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Knox County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.6% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.2% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.5% | 22.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Knox County is about 17% lower than in Maine.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 53,129 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 584,424 minutes a day and 213.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Knox County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.15 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 | Knox County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.15 | 4.43 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Knox County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Knox County, ME Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Knox County, ME is typical in size for this group, 41,003 residents against a local median of 40,192, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Knox County, ME apart most is uninsured: 5.6%, 16% below the local median of 6.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.2% on uninsured, so Knox County, ME sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Knox County, ME has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, ME | 41,003 | 78.9 yrs #5/6 | 5.6% #2/6 | 30.2% #3/6 |
| Waldo County, ME | 40,192 | 78.9 yrs | 9.2% | 31.7% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 36,099 | 79.0 yrs | 6.6% | 25.3% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 37,285 | 79.9 yrs | 5.3% | 31.8% |
| Hancock County, ME | 56,460 | 79.9 yrs | 9.6% | 29.8% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 126,799 | 77.8 yrs | 5.8% | 34.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Knox County, Maine has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Maine, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Knox County, Maine.
Is Knox County, Maine a healthy place to live?
Knox County, Maine 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 Knox County, Maine one of the healthiest counties in Maine?
Knox County ranks 6th healthiest out of 16 counties in Maine by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Knox County, Maine?
People in Knox County, Maine can expect to live 78.9 years on average, 0.6 years longer than the Maine average of 78.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Knox County, Maine?
5.6% of residents in Knox County, Maine have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 0.6 points below the Maine rate of 6.2%.
What percentage of Knox County, Maine residents are obese?
30.2% of adults in Knox County, Maine are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.1 points below the Maine rate of 32.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Knox County, Maine go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 53,129 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 584,424 minutes a day and 213.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Knox County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.15 lifetimes a year.
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