Health Profile of St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis 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
St. Louis County Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | St. Louis County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.7% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.6% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in St. Louis County is 78.6 years, about 1.7 years longer than the Missouri average of 76.9 years. The uninsured rate is 5.7%, lower than the Missouri average of 8.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.6% of residents, lower than the Missouri average of 19.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
372,729 residents in St. Louis County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 22,831 7,517 men · 15,313 women
- 75–84 54,176 22,168 men · 32,008 women
- 65–74 99,166 44,360 men · 54,806 women
- 50–64 196,557 92,311 men · 104,246 women
Younger residents
207,661 residents in St. Louis County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 65,555 33,335 boys · 32,220 girls
- 7–12 61,826 31,808 boys · 30,018 girls
- 3–7 46,388 23,852 boys · 22,536 girls
- 0–3 33,893 17,335 boys · 16,558 girls
About 53,845 residents in St. Louis County (5.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.6 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 County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.5% | 11.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 29.0% | 38.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in St. Louis County is about 27% lower than in Missouri. The rate of obesity in St. Louis County is about 24% lower than in Missouri. The rate of diabetes in St. Louis County is about 20% lower than in Missouri.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | St. Louis County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.8% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.3% | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.0% | 29.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in St. Louis County is about 30% lower than in Missouri. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in St. Louis County is about 21% lower than in Missouri.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.2 million cigarettes a day, 36.9 million a month, or 448.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.5 million minutes a day and 4.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in St. Louis County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.33 lifetimes a day, or 119 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 County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.84 | 6.78 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in St. Louis County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
St. Louis County, MO Health Compared With Nearby Counties
St. Louis County, MO is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 995,111 residents against a local median of 132,240. The measure that sets St. Louis County, MO apart most is uninsured: 5.7%, 25% above the local median of 4.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 29.0% against a local median of 34.6%, 16% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: obesity runs ahead of the neighbourhood while uninsured runs behind it, so St. Louis County, MO is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 4.1% on uninsured, so St. Louis County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. St. Louis County, MO has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County, MO | 995,111 | 78.6 yrs #3/5 | 5.7% #4/5 | 29.0% #1/5 |
| St. Charles County, MO | 414,008 | 79.9 yrs | 4.2% | 31.1% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 229,447 | 76.4 yrs | 6.6% | 41.6% |
| Monroe County, IL | 35,033 | 80.0 yrs | 2.5% | 35.1% |
| Jersey County, IL | 21,266 | 77.1 yrs | 5.0% | 34.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, St. Louis County, Missouri has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Missouri, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in St. Louis County, Missouri.
What is the health grade for St. Louis County, Missouri?
St. Louis 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 St. Louis County, Missouri one of the healthiest counties in Missouri?
St. Louis County ranks 4th 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 St. Louis County, Missouri?
People in St. Louis County, Missouri can expect to live 78.6 years on average, 1.7 years longer than the Missouri average of 76.9.
How many people lack health insurance in St. Louis County, Missouri?
5.7% of residents in St. Louis County, Missouri have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 3.0 points below the Missouri rate of 8.8%.
How common is obesity in St. Louis County, Missouri?
29.0% of adults in St. Louis County, Missouri are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 9.1 points below the Missouri rate of 38.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in St. Louis County, Missouri go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.2 million cigarettes a day, 36.9 million a month, or 448.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.5 million minutes a day and 4.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in St. Louis County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.33 lifetimes a day, or 119 lifetimes a year.
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