Health Profile of Polk County, Missouri
Polk 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
Polk County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 14.1% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.6% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Polk County is 77.9 years, about 0.9 years longer than the Missouri average of 76.9 years. The uninsured rate is 14.1%, higher than the Missouri average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.7% of residents, lower than the Missouri average of 19.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
11,744 residents in Polk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 810 274 men · 536 women
- 75–84 1,789 787 men · 1,001 women
- 65–74 3,053 1,527 men · 1,526 women
- 50–64 6,093 2,969 men · 3,124 women
Younger residents
7,221 residents in Polk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,170 1,041 boys · 1,129 girls
- 7–12 2,102 1,116 boys · 986 girls
- 3–7 1,668 922 boys · 746 girls
- 0–3 1,280 663 boys · 617 girls
About 1,984 residents in Polk County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Polk County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.7% | 11.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.1% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.9% | 38.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Polk County are about the same as in Missouri.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Polk County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.4% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.4% | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.2% | 29.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Polk County are about the same as in Missouri.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 55,600 cigarettes a day, 1.7 million a month, or 20.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 611,596 minutes a day and 223.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.46 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 | Polk County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.62 | 6.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Polk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Polk County, MO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, MO is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 32,444 residents against a local median of 14,615. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Polk County, MO an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 8% below the local median at 35.9% against 38.9%. Polk County, MO has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, MO | 32,444 | 77.9 yrs #2/6 | 14.1% #4/6 | 35.9% #2/6 |
| Hickory County, MO | 8,585 | 82.2 yrs | 13.2% | 39.5% |
| Greene County, MO | 303,351 | 77.1 yrs | 10.4% | 34.8% |
| Dallas County, MO | 17,551 | 77.1 yrs | 15.9% | 38.9% |
| Cedar County, MO | 14,615 | 74.9 yrs | 14.8% | 36.5% |
| Dade County, MO | 7,641 | 77.3 yrs | 10.2% | 40.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Polk 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 Polk County, Missouri.
Is Polk County, Missouri a healthy place to live?
Polk 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 Polk County, Missouri one of the healthiest counties in Missouri?
Polk County ranks 50th 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 Polk County, Missouri?
People in Polk County, Missouri can expect to live 77.9 years on average, 0.9 years longer than the Missouri average of 76.9.
What is the uninsured rate in Polk County, Missouri?
14.1% of residents in Polk County, Missouri have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 5.4 points above the Missouri rate of 8.8%.
What percentage of Polk County, Missouri residents are obese?
35.9% of adults in Polk County, Missouri are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.3 points below the Missouri rate of 38.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Polk County, Missouri go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 55,600 cigarettes a day, 1.7 million a month, or 20.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 611,596 minutes a day and 223.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.46 lifetimes a year.
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