Health Profile of Houston County, Minnesota
Houston 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
Houston County Around averageHealthier than 78% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Houston County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 82.9 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.2% | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.1% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Houston County is 82.9 years, about 2.1 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8 years. The uninsured rate is 3.2%, lower than the Minnesota average of 4.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.1% of residents, lower than the Minnesota average of 13.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,052 residents in Houston County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 573 234 men · 339 women
- 75–84 1,134 477 men · 656 women
- 65–74 2,167 1,082 men · 1,085 women
- 50–64 4,178 2,098 men · 2,081 women
Younger residents
3,883 residents in Houston County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,256 643 boys · 613 girls
- 7–12 1,172 571 boys · 601 girls
- 3–7 857 414 boys · 443 girls
- 0–3 597 291 boys · 306 girls
About 785 residents in Houston County (4.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 82.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Houston County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.6% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 7.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.9% | 7.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.1% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Houston County are about the same as in Minnesota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Houston County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.8% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.5% | 19.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.9% | 22.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Houston County are about the same as in Minnesota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 26,126 cigarettes a day, 783,777 a month, or 9.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 287,385 minutes a day and 104.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston County is 82.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.41 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 | Houston County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.62 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Houston County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Houston County, MN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Houston County, MN is typical in size for this group, 18,653 residents against a local median of 21,414, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Houston County, MN apart most is uninsured: 3.2%, 37% below the local median of 5.2%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.5% on uninsured, so Houston County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Houston County, MN has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County, MN | 18,653 | 82.9 yrs #1/6 | 3.2% #2/6 | 32.1% #2/6 |
| Allamakee County, IA | 14,091 | 79.9 yrs | 7.0% | 38.5% |
| Winona County, MN | 49,782 | 80.9 yrs | 5.2% | 34.1% |
| La Crosse County, WI | 120,486 | 79.3 yrs | 4.4% | 31.9% |
| Winneshiek County, IA | 19,872 | 82.0 yrs | 2.7% | 32.2% |
| Fillmore County, MN | 21,414 | 82.5 yrs | 7.2% | 34.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Houston County, Minnesota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Minnesota, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Houston County, Minnesota.
Is Houston County, Minnesota a healthy place to live?
Houston County, Minnesota 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 Houston County, Minnesota one of the healthiest counties in Minnesota?
Houston County ranks 20th healthiest out of 87 counties in Minnesota by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Houston County, Minnesota?
People in Houston County, Minnesota can expect to live 82.9 years on average, 2.1 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Houston County, Minnesota?
3.2% of residents in Houston County, Minnesota have no health insurance, about 1 in 31 people, 1.4 points below the Minnesota rate of 4.7%.
How common is obesity in Houston County, Minnesota?
32.1% of adults in Houston County, Minnesota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.4 points below the Minnesota rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Houston County, Minnesota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 26,126 cigarettes a day, 783,777 a month, or 9.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 287,385 minutes a day and 104.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston County is 82.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.41 lifetimes a year.
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