Health Profile of Smith County, Mississippi
Smith 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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C
Smith County Below averageHealthier than 78% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.2 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.4% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.0% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Smith County is 79.2 years, about 4.5 years longer than the Mississippi average of 74.7 years. The uninsured rate is 11.4%, higher than the Mississippi average of 11.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.0% of residents, lower than the Mississippi average of 23.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,397 residents in Smith County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 292 82 men · 210 women
- 75–84 833 328 men · 505 women
- 65–74 1,489 743 men · 746 women
- 50–64 2,783 1,381 men · 1,402 women
Younger residents
3,196 residents in Smith County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 952 467 boys · 485 girls
- 7–12 935 479 boys · 456 girls
- 3–7 748 366 boys · 382 girls
- 0–3 561 245 boys · 316 girls
About 730 residents in Smith County (5.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.7% | 14.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.1% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.1% | 41.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Smith County are about the same as in Mississippi.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.5% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.2% | 12.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.8% | 32.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Smith County are about the same as in Mississippi.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 23,435 cigarettes a day, 703,050 a month, or 8.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 257,785 minutes a day and 94.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Smith County is 79.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.26 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 | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.56 | 7.91 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Smith County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Smith County, MS Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Smith County, MS is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 14,132 residents against a local median of 25,691. The measure that sets Smith County, MS apart most is uninsured: 11.4%, 19% above the local median of 9.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.9% on uninsured, so Smith County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Smith County, MS has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County, MS | 14,132 | 79.2 yrs #1/6 | 11.4% #5/6 | 41.1% #3/6 |
| Covington County, MS | 18,148 | 74.9 yrs | 9.6% | 44.3% |
| Jasper County, MS | 16,059 | 74.6 yrs | 8.5% | 45.5% |
| Scott County, MS | 27,718 | 74.1 yrs | 13.1% | 44.4% |
| Simpson County, MS | 25,691 | 73.9 yrs | 10.1% | 37.0% |
| Rankin County, MS | 158,854 | 77.8 yrs | 8.2% | 35.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Smith County, Mississippi has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Mississippi, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Smith County, Mississippi.
How healthy is Smith County, Mississippi?
Smith County, 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 Smith County, Mississippi one of the healthiest counties in Mississippi?
Smith County ranks 19th 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 Smith County, Mississippi?
People in Smith County, Mississippi can expect to live 79.2 years on average, 4.5 years longer than the Mississippi average of 74.7.
How many people lack health insurance in Smith County, Mississippi?
11.4% of residents in Smith County, Mississippi have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, about the same as the Mississippi rate of 11.0%.
How common is obesity in Smith County, Mississippi?
41.1% of adults in Smith County, Mississippi are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 0.7 points below the Mississippi rate of 41.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Smith County, Mississippi go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 23,435 cigarettes a day, 703,050 a month, or 8.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 257,785 minutes a day and 94.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Smith County is 79.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.26 lifetimes a year.
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