Health Profile of Lamar County, Mississippi
Lamar 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
Lamar County Around averageHealthier than 94% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lamar County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.1% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.8% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lamar County is 76.4 years, about 1.7 years longer than the Mississippi average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 11.1%, higher than the Mississippi average of 11.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.8% of residents, lower than the Mississippi average of 23.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
19,969 residents in Lamar County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 824 265 men · 559 women
- 75–84 2,617 1,083 men · 1,534 women
- 65–74 5,183 2,424 men · 2,759 women
- 50–64 11,345 5,501 men · 5,844 women
Younger residents
15,673 residents in Lamar County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,779 2,405 boys · 2,374 girls
- 7–12 4,797 2,444 boys · 2,353 girls
- 3–7 3,603 1,836 boys · 1,767 girls
- 0–3 2,494 1,275 boys · 1,219 girls
About 3,007 residents in Lamar County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lamar County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.2% | 14.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.9% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.1% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.9% | 41.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Lamar County is about 31% lower than in Mississippi. The rate of heart disease in Lamar County is about 24% lower than in Mississippi.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lamar County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.5% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.5% | 12.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.7% | 32.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Lamar County is about 24% lower than in Mississippi. The rate of smoking in Lamar County is about 21% lower than in Mississippi. The rate of binge drinking in Lamar County is about 20% higher than in Mississippi.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 87,164 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 958,805 minutes a day and 350.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lamar County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.72 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 | Lamar County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.57 | 7.91 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lamar County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lamar County, MS Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lamar County, MS is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 65,698 residents against a local median of 24,193. Lamar County, MS sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 10% below the local median at 36.9% against 40.9%. Lamar County, MS has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County, MS | 65,698 | 76.4 yrs #1/6 | 11.1% #4/6 | 36.9% #2/6 |
| Forrest County, MS | 78,271 | 73.9 yrs | 11.1% | 38.5% |
| Marion County, MS | 24,193 | 71.7 yrs | 13.5% | 40.9% |
| Covington County, MS | 18,148 | 74.9 yrs | 9.6% | 44.3% |
| Pearl River County, MS | 57,458 | 74.5 yrs | 12.9% | 35.5% |
| Jefferson Davis County, MS | 11,117 | 74.5 yrs | 11.1% | 46.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lamar 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 Lamar County, Mississippi.
What is the health grade for Lamar County, Mississippi?
Lamar 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 Lamar County, Mississippi one of the healthiest counties in Mississippi?
Lamar County ranks 6th 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 Lamar County, Mississippi?
People in Lamar County, Mississippi can expect to live 76.4 years on average, 1.7 years longer than the Mississippi average of 74.7.
What is the uninsured rate in Lamar County, Mississippi?
11.1% of residents in Lamar County, Mississippi have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, about the same as the Mississippi rate of 11.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Lamar County, Mississippi?
36.9% of adults in Lamar County, Mississippi are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.9 points below the Mississippi rate of 41.8%.
What health issue is more common in Lamar County, Mississippi than elsewhere?
Compared with Mississippi as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 15.5%, about 20% higher than the Mississippi rate of 12.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lamar County, Mississippi go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 87,164 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 958,805 minutes a day and 350.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lamar County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.72 lifetimes a year.
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