Health Profile of Alexander County, North Carolina
Alexander 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
Alexander County Around averageHealthier than 70% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Alexander County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.1% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Alexander County is 77.2 years, about 0.1 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 8.1%, lower than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.4% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
14,323 residents in Alexander County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 705 185 men · 520 women
- 75–84 2,162 1,010 men · 1,152 women
- 65–74 4,041 1,939 men · 2,102 women
- 50–64 7,416 3,696 men · 3,720 women
Younger residents
7,018 residents in Alexander County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,355 1,200 boys · 1,155 girls
- 7–12 2,117 1,128 boys · 989 girls
- 3–7 1,498 759 boys · 739 girls
- 0–3 1,048 526 boys · 522 girls
About 2,247 residents in Alexander County (6.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Alexander County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.4% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Alexander County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Alexander County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.2% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.9% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.1% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Alexander County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 64,975 cigarettes a day, 1.9 million a month, or 23.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 714,725 minutes a day and 260.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alexander County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.43 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 | Alexander County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.72 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Alexander County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Alexander County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Alexander County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 36,412 residents against a local median of 92,729. Alexander County, NC's uninsured, at 8.1%, runs 23% below the 10.5% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.9% on uninsured, so Alexander County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alexander County, NC has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander County, NC | 36,412 | 77.2 yrs #2/6 | 8.1% #1/6 | 34.4% #4/6 |
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | 75.9 yrs | 10.6% | 31.0% |
| Wilkes County, NC | 65,914 | 76.5 yrs | 10.5% | 38.6% |
| Iredell County, NC | 196,543 | 77.0 yrs | 9.0% | 32.7% |
| Caldwell County, NC | 80,517 | 75.9 yrs | 10.5% | 35.3% |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | 77.3 yrs | 8.7% | 33.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Alexander County, North Carolina has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than North Carolina, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Alexander County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Alexander County, North Carolina?
Alexander County, North Carolina 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 Alexander County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Alexander County ranks 31st healthiest out of 100 counties in North Carolina by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Alexander County, North Carolina?
People in Alexander County, North Carolina can expect to live 77.2 years on average, about the same as the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of Alexander County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
8.1% of residents in Alexander County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.8 points below the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
How common is obesity in Alexander County, North Carolina?
34.4% of adults in Alexander County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.4 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Alexander County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 64,975 cigarettes a day, 1.9 million a month, or 23.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 714,725 minutes a day and 260.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alexander County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.43 lifetimes a year.
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