Health Profile of Mississippi
Mississippi 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
Mississippi Below averageLeast healthy state in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Mississippi
- Madison County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Lafayette County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Oktibbeha County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Holmes County (91% of U.S. avg)
- Quitman County (92% of U.S. avg)
- Sharkey County (92% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mississippi | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mississippi is 74.7 years, about 3.6 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 11.0%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.5% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,028,968 residents in Mississippi are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 49,932 16,427 men · 33,504 women
- 75–84 146,732 60,847 men · 85,885 women
- 65–74 282,373 130,347 men · 152,025 women
- 50–64 549,931 263,879 men · 286,053 women
Younger residents
658,696 residents in Mississippi are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 211,817 109,227 boys · 102,590 girls
- 7–12 194,133 99,945 boys · 94,188 girls
- 3–7 145,183 74,019 boys · 71,164 girls
- 0–3 107,564 54,921 boys · 52,642 girls
About 204,211 residents in Mississippi (6.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mississippi | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Mississippi is about 30% higher than in US. The rate of obesity in Mississippi is about 22% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mississippi | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Mississippi is about 29% higher than in US. The rate of binge drinking in Mississippi is about 22% lower than in US. The rate of smoking in Mississippi is about 16% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 5.0 million cigarettes a day, 149.8 million a month, or 1.8 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 54.9 million minutes a day and 20.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mississippi is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 1.40 lifetimes a day, or 511 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 | Mississippi | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.91 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mississippi is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mississippi Health Compared With Nearby States
Mississippi is the smallest of the 6 states compared here, 2,946,497 residents against a local median of 5,083,438. Where Mississippi breaks from the states next to it is uninsured, sitting 20% above the local median of 9.2% at 11.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 4.5% on uninsured, so Mississippi sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mississippi has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 2,946,497 | 74.7 yrs #5/6 | 11.0% #5/6 | 41.8% #6/6 |
| Alabama | 5,083,438 | 74.7 yrs | 9.2% | 41.3% |
| Louisiana | 4,610,276 | 75.1 yrs | 7.8% | 40.3% |
| Arkansas | 3,049,066 | 75.5 yrs | 9.0% | 39.0% |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | 74.8 yrs | 10.0% | 37.9% |
| Georgia | 10,939,918 | 75.8 yrs | 12.4% | 38.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mississippi has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Mississippi.
How healthy is Mississippi?
Mississippi 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 Mississippi one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
No. Mississippi ranks last of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Mississippi?
People in Mississippi can expect to live 74.7 years on average, 3.6 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
What percentage of Mississippi residents are uninsured?
11.0% of residents in Mississippi have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 2.6 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
What percentage of Mississippi residents are obese?
41.8% of adults in Mississippi are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 7.5 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Mississippi?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 14.7%, about 30% higher than the US rate of 11.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mississippi go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 5.0 million cigarettes a day, 149.8 million a month, or 1.8 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 54.9 million minutes a day and 20.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mississippi is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 1.40 lifetimes a day, or 511 lifetimes a year.
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