Health Profile of Stearns County, Minnesota
Stearns 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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A
Stearns County Above averageHealthier than 87% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Stearns County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.9 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.9% | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.7% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Stearns County is 81.9 years, about 1.2 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8 years. The uninsured rate is 4.9%, higher than the Minnesota average of 4.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.7% of residents, lower than the Minnesota average of 13.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
51,417 residents in Stearns County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,048 1,171 men · 1,877 women
- 75–84 7,215 3,274 men · 3,941 women
- 65–74 12,999 6,335 men · 6,665 women
- 50–64 28,154 14,100 men · 14,054 women
Younger residents
36,307 residents in Stearns County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 11,263 5,634 boys · 5,629 girls
- 7–12 10,399 5,146 boys · 5,252 girls
- 3–7 8,233 4,133 boys · 4,101 girls
- 0–3 6,411 3,270 boys · 3,142 girls
About 4,720 residents in Stearns County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Stearns County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.9% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 7.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 7.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.5% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Stearns County is about 20% lower than in Minnesota. The rate of heart disease in Stearns County is about 20% lower than in Minnesota. The rate of cancer in Stearns County is about 19% lower than in Minnesota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Stearns County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.3% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.8% | 19.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.5% | 22.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Stearns County are about the same as in Minnesota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 212,819 cigarettes a day, 6.4 million a month, or 77.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.3 million minutes a day and 854.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Stearns County is 81.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 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 | Stearns County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.14 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Stearns County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Stearns County, MN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Stearns County, MN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 160,684 residents against a local median of 34,249. Where Stearns County, MN breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 23% below the local median of 6.4% at 4.9%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.1% on uninsured, so Stearns County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Stearns County, MN has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns County, MN | 160,684 | 81.9 yrs #2/6 | 4.9% #3/6 | 32.5% #2/6 |
| Meeker County, MN | 23,466 | 80.7 yrs | 6.6% | 31.6% |
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 44,079 | 81.4 yrs | 6.4% | 34.3% |
| Morrison County, MN | 34,249 | 82.0 yrs | 3.9% | 35.5% |
| Todd County, MN | 25,575 | 81.5 yrs | 9.5% | 37.3% |
| Benton County, MN | 41,593 | 79.7 yrs | 3.4% | 36.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Stearns County, Minnesota has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Minnesota, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Stearns County, Minnesota.
How healthy is Stearns County, Minnesota?
Stearns County, Minnesota has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Stearns County, Minnesota one of the healthiest counties in Minnesota?
Stearns County ranks 12th 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.
How long do people live in Stearns County, Minnesota?
People in Stearns County, Minnesota can expect to live 81.9 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Stearns County, Minnesota?
4.9% of residents in Stearns County, Minnesota have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, about the same as the Minnesota rate of 4.7%.
What is the obesity rate in Stearns County, Minnesota?
32.5% of adults in Stearns County, Minnesota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.0 points below the Minnesota rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Stearns County, Minnesota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 212,819 cigarettes a day, 6.4 million a month, or 77.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.3 million minutes a day and 854.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Stearns County is 81.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 lifetimes a year.
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