Health Profile of Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson 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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C
Jackson County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jackson County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.7% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.9% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jackson County is 75.7 years, about 1.2 years shorter than the Missouri average of 76.9 years. The uninsured rate is 10.7%, higher than the Missouri average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.9% of residents, lower than the Missouri average of 19.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
234,265 residents in Jackson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 13,722 4,828 men · 8,894 women
- 75–84 31,657 12,754 men · 18,903 women
- 65–74 59,775 27,051 men · 32,723 women
- 50–64 129,112 62,314 men · 66,798 women
Younger residents
161,341 residents in Jackson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 49,587 24,701 boys · 24,885 girls
- 7–12 47,950 24,692 boys · 23,257 girls
- 3–7 36,869 19,172 boys · 17,696 girls
- 0–3 26,936 13,699 boys · 13,237 girls
About 42,600 residents in Jackson County (5.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jackson County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.1% | 11.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.9% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.3% | 38.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Jackson County is about 20% lower than in Missouri. The rate of cancer in Jackson County is about 19% lower than in Missouri.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jackson County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.5% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.6% | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.8% | 29.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Jackson County are about the same as in Missouri.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 33.9 million a month, or 412.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.4 million minutes a day and 4.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jackson County is 75.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.31 lifetimes a day, or 114 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 | Jackson County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.47 | 6.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jackson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jackson County, MO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, MO is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 719,648 residents against a local median of 167,620. Jackson County, MO's uninsured, at 10.7%, runs 39% above the 7.7% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 12.1% on uninsured, so Jackson County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jackson County, MO has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, MO | 719,648 | 75.7 yrs #5/6 | 10.7% #5/6 | 37.3% #4/6 |
| Clay County, MO | 258,122 | 78.4 yrs | 7.6% | 33.6% |
| Cass County, MO | 110,772 | 78.0 yrs | 7.7% | 34.9% |
| Wyandotte County, KS | 167,620 | 75.4 yrs | 17.0% | 47.7% |
| Johnson County, KS | 619,445 | 80.7 yrs | 4.9% | 29.6% |
| Ray County, MO | 23,145 | 77.2 yrs | 9.1% | 39.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jackson County, Missouri has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Missouri, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jackson County, Missouri.
Is Jackson County, Missouri a healthy place to live?
Jackson County, Missouri 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 Jackson County, Missouri one of the healthiest counties in Missouri?
Jackson County ranks 52nd 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 life expectancy in Jackson County, Missouri?
People in Jackson County, Missouri can expect to live 75.7 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the Missouri average of 76.9.
What is the uninsured rate in Jackson County, Missouri?
10.7% of residents in Jackson County, Missouri have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 2.0 points above the Missouri rate of 8.8%.
How common is obesity in Jackson County, Missouri?
37.3% of adults in Jackson County, Missouri are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.8 points below the Missouri rate of 38.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jackson County, Missouri go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 33.9 million a month, or 412.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.4 million minutes a day and 4.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jackson County is 75.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.31 lifetimes a day, or 114 lifetimes a year.
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