Health Profile of Howard County, Missouri
Howard 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
Howard County Around averageHealthier than 82% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Howard County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.1% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.0% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Howard County is 78.5 years, about 1.6 years longer than the Missouri average of 76.9 years. The uninsured rate is 8.1%, lower than the Missouri average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.0% of residents, lower than the Missouri average of 19.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,839 residents in Howard County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 247 100 men · 147 women
- 75–84 552 257 men · 295 women
- 65–74 1,043 465 men · 577 women
- 50–64 1,998 1,017 men · 981 women
Younger residents
2,106 residents in Howard County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 717 363 boys · 354 girls
- 7–12 620 318 boys · 303 girls
- 3–7 436 228 boys · 209 girls
- 0–3 332 173 boys · 159 girls
About 601 residents in Howard County (5.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Howard County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.9% | 11.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.9% | 38.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Howard County are about the same as in Missouri.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Howard County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.2% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.6% | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.9% | 29.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Howard County are about the same as in Missouri.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,171 cigarettes a day, 485,128 a month, or 5.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 177,880 minutes a day and 64.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.57 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 | Howard County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.44 | 6.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Howard County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Howard County, MO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Howard County, MO is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 10,147 residents against a local median of 23,231. Howard County, MO 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 obesity, 4% below the local median at 36.9% against 38.5%. Howard County, MO has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, MO | 10,147 | 78.5 yrs #3/6 | 8.1% #4/6 | 36.9% #2/6 |
| Cooper County, MO | 16,823 | 76.8 yrs | 8.7% | 37.0% |
| Randolph County, MO | 24,365 | 75.6 yrs | 9.7% | 38.9% |
| Boone County, MO | 188,044 | 79.5 yrs | 5.9% | 31.3% |
| Chariton County, MO | 7,390 | 78.7 yrs | 4.8% | 38.5% |
| Saline County, MO | 23,231 | 77.6 yrs | 8.1% | 38.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Howard County, Missouri has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Missouri, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Howard County, Missouri.
How healthy is Howard County, Missouri?
Howard County, Missouri 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 Howard County, Missouri one of the healthiest counties in Missouri?
Howard County ranks 22nd healthiest out of 115 counties in Missouri by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Howard County, Missouri?
People in Howard County, Missouri can expect to live 78.5 years on average, 1.6 years longer than the Missouri average of 76.9.
What percentage of Howard County, Missouri residents are uninsured?
8.1% of residents in Howard County, Missouri have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 0.6 points below the Missouri rate of 8.8%.
How common is obesity in Howard County, Missouri?
36.9% of adults in Howard County, Missouri are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.2 points below the Missouri rate of 38.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Howard County, Missouri go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,171 cigarettes a day, 485,128 a month, or 5.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 177,880 minutes a day and 64.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.57 lifetimes a year.
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