Health Profile of Ashe County, North Carolina
Ashe 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
Ashe County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.8% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Ashe County is 77.5 years, about 0.4 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is about the same as in North Carolina, at 9.8%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.2% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
12,721 residents in Ashe County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 768 253 men · 515 women
- 75–84 2,067 878 men · 1,189 women
- 65–74 3,901 1,929 men · 1,971 women
- 50–64 5,986 2,972 men · 3,013 women
Younger residents
4,519 residents in Ashe County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,512 694 boys · 817 girls
- 7–12 1,345 656 boys · 689 girls
- 3–7 971 511 boys · 460 girls
- 0–3 691 358 boys · 333 girls
About 2,192 residents in Ashe County (8.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.0% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.6% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.3% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Ashe County is about 18% higher than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.6% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.5% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.4% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Ashe County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 46,106 cigarettes a day, 1.4 million a month, or 16.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 507,166 minutes a day and 185.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ashe County is 77.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.55 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 | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.41 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Ashe County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Ashe County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Ashe County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,946 residents against a local median of 18,196. Ashe County, NC 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, 9% below the local median at 34.3% against 37.8%. Ashe County, NC has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashe County, NC | 26,946 | 77.5 yrs #3/6 | 9.8% #3/6 | 34.3% #2/6 |
| Watauga County, NC | 55,114 | 80.3 yrs | 9.3% | 28.3% |
| Johnson County, TN | 18,196 | 73.7 yrs | 13.4% | 37.8% |
| Grayson County, VA | 15,277 | 76.9 yrs | 7.6% | 40.8% |
| Alleghany County, NC | 11,122 | 79.0 yrs | 13.8% | 35.3% |
| Wilkes County, NC | 65,914 | 76.5 yrs | 10.5% | 38.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ashe County, North Carolina has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than North Carolina, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Ashe County, North Carolina.
Is Ashe County, North Carolina a healthy place to live?
Ashe County, North Carolina 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 Ashe County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Ashe County ranks 49th 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.
How long do people live in Ashe County, North Carolina?
People in Ashe County, North Carolina can expect to live 77.5 years on average, about the same as the North Carolina average of 77.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Ashe County, North Carolina?
9.8% of residents in Ashe County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, about the same as the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
How common is obesity in Ashe County, North Carolina?
34.3% of adults in Ashe 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 Ashe County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 46,106 cigarettes a day, 1.4 million a month, or 16.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 507,166 minutes a day and 185.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ashe County is 77.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.55 lifetimes a year.
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