Health Profile of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis 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
St. Louis Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | St. Louis | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.4 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.3% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.2% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in St. Louis is 73.4 years, about 3.5 years shorter than the Missouri average of 76.9 years. The uninsured rate is 9.3%, higher than the Missouri average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.2% of residents, higher than the Missouri average of 19.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
91,152 residents in St. Louis are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,794 1,482 men · 3,312 women
- 75–84 10,864 4,420 men · 6,444 women
- 65–74 23,305 10,474 men · 12,831 women
- 50–64 52,189 25,376 men · 26,813 women
Younger residents
52,544 residents in St. Louis are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 14,848 7,531 boys · 7,317 girls
- 7–12 14,482 7,280 boys · 7,202 girls
- 3–7 12,668 6,437 boys · 6,231 girls
- 0–3 10,547 5,434 boys · 5,113 girls
About 18,855 residents in St. Louis (6.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | St. Louis | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 11.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.2% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.4% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.4% | 38.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in St. Louis is about 28% lower than in Missouri. The rate of heart disease in St. Louis is about 23% lower than in Missouri.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | St. Louis | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.3% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.5% | 29.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in St. Louis are about the same as in Missouri.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 502,909 cigarettes a day, 15.1 million a month, or 183.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.5 million minutes a day and 2.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in St. Louis is 73.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 52 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 | St. Louis | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.89 | 6.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in St. Louis is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, Missouri.
Is St. Louis, Missouri a healthy place to live?
St. Louis, 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.
What is the life expectancy in St. Louis, Missouri?
People in St. Louis, Missouri can expect to live 73.4 years on average, 3.5 years shorter than the Missouri average of 76.9.
How many people lack health insurance in St. Louis, Missouri?
9.3% of residents in St. Louis, Missouri have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 0.5 points above the Missouri rate of 8.8%.
What is the obesity rate in St. Louis, Missouri?
40.4% of adults in St. Louis, Missouri are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.3 points above the Missouri rate of 38.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in St. Louis, Missouri go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 502,909 cigarettes a day, 15.1 million a month, or 183.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.5 million minutes a day and 2.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in St. Louis is 73.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 52 lifetimes a year.
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