Health Profile of DeSoto County, Mississippi
DeSoto 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
DeSoto County Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | DeSoto County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.3% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.5% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in DeSoto County is 76.7 years, about 2.0 years longer than the Mississippi average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 8.3%, lower than the Mississippi average of 11.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.5% of residents, lower than the Mississippi average of 23.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
58,100 residents in DeSoto County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,699 595 men · 1,104 women
- 75–84 6,992 2,925 men · 4,068 women
- 65–74 14,449 6,638 men · 7,812 women
- 50–64 34,959 17,062 men · 17,896 women
Younger residents
46,240 residents in DeSoto County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 15,459 8,057 boys · 7,403 girls
- 7–12 13,914 6,940 boys · 6,974 girls
- 3–7 9,906 4,848 boys · 5,059 girls
- 0–3 6,961 3,509 boys · 3,451 girls
About 7,228 residents in DeSoto County (3.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | DeSoto County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.0% | 14.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.7% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.1% | 41.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in DeSoto County is about 32% lower than in Mississippi. The rate of heart disease in DeSoto County is about 30% lower than in Mississippi.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | DeSoto County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.2% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.2% | 12.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.1% | 32.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in DeSoto County is about 20% lower than in Mississippi. The rate of binge drinking in DeSoto County is about 18% higher than in Mississippi.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 289,736 cigarettes a day, 8.7 million a month, or 105.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.2 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in DeSoto County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 29 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 | DeSoto County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.16 | 7.91 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in DeSoto County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
DeSoto County, MS Health Compared With Nearby Counties
DeSoto County, MS is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 191,302 residents against a local median of 33,979. DeSoto County, MS's uninsured, at 8.3%, runs 29% below the 11.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.6% on uninsured, so DeSoto County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeSoto County, MS has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County, MS | 191,302 | 76.7 yrs #1/6 | 8.3% #1/6 | 38.1% #1/6 |
| Tate County, MS | 28,321 | 75.5 yrs | 11.1% | 40.3% |
| Shelby County, TN | 918,438 | 74.7 yrs | 12.0% | 40.0% |
| Tunica County, MS | 9,475 | 72.8 yrs | 13.1% | 46.5% |
| Crittenden County, AR | 47,563 | 73.3 yrs | 9.6% | 48.0% |
| Marshall County, MS | 33,979 | 74.0 yrs | 11.8% | 43.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, DeSoto County, Mississippi has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Mississippi, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in DeSoto County, Mississippi.
What is the health grade for DeSoto County, Mississippi?
DeSoto County, Mississippi 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 DeSoto County, Mississippi one of the healthiest counties in Mississippi?
DeSoto County ranks 5th healthiest out of 82 counties in Mississippi by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in DeSoto County, Mississippi?
People in DeSoto County, Mississippi can expect to live 76.7 years on average, 2.0 years longer than the Mississippi average of 74.7.
What percentage of DeSoto County, Mississippi residents are uninsured?
8.3% of residents in DeSoto County, Mississippi have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 2.7 points below the Mississippi rate of 11.0%.
What percentage of DeSoto County, Mississippi residents are obese?
38.1% of adults in DeSoto County, Mississippi are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.7 points below the Mississippi rate of 41.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in DeSoto County, Mississippi go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 289,736 cigarettes a day, 8.7 million a month, or 105.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.2 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in DeSoto County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 29 lifetimes a year.
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