Health Profile of Buncombe County, North Carolina
Buncombe 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
Buncombe County Around averageHealthier than 90% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Buncombe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.9% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Buncombe County is 77.9 years, about 0.8 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 10.9%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.2% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
106,250 residents in Buncombe County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 7,178 2,442 men · 4,735 women
- 75–84 14,844 6,352 men · 8,493 women
- 65–74 29,947 13,612 men · 16,334 women
- 50–64 54,281 26,287 men · 27,995 women
Younger residents
48,014 residents in Buncombe County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 14,757 7,285 boys · 7,472 girls
- 7–12 14,483 7,406 boys · 7,077 girls
- 3–7 11,062 5,847 boys · 5,215 girls
- 0–3 7,712 4,004 boys · 3,709 girls
About 16,655 residents in Buncombe County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Buncombe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.2% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Buncombe County is about 23% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of obesity in Buncombe County is about 16% lower than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Buncombe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.9% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.0% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.3% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Buncombe County is about 24% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of smoking in Buncombe County is about 18% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 381,081 cigarettes a day, 11.4 million a month, or 139.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.2 million minutes a day and 1.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Buncombe County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 37 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 | Buncombe County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.27 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Buncombe County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Buncombe County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Buncombe County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 274,254 residents against a local median of 44,809. Buncombe 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, 13% below the local median at 30.2% against 34.5%. Buncombe County, NC has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County, NC | 274,254 | 77.9 yrs #3/6 | 10.9% #3/6 | 30.2% #1/6 |
| Henderson County, NC | 118,522 | 79.4 yrs | 12.4% | 34.5% |
| Madison County, NC | 21,867 | 78.7 yrs | 8.4% | 33.8% |
| Yancey County, NC | 18,788 | 76.7 yrs | 7.2% | 34.7% |
| Haywood County, NC | 59,366 | 77.1 yrs | 11.4% | 34.1% |
| McDowell County, NC | 44,809 | 76.6 yrs | 11.5% | 34.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Buncombe 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 Buncombe County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Buncombe County, North Carolina?
Buncombe 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 Buncombe County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Buncombe County ranks 11th 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 average lifespan in Buncombe County, North Carolina?
People in Buncombe County, North Carolina can expect to live 77.9 years on average, 0.8 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What is the uninsured rate in Buncombe County, North Carolina?
10.9% of residents in Buncombe County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.0 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What percentage of Buncombe County, North Carolina residents are obese?
30.2% of adults in Buncombe County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.6 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Buncombe County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 381,081 cigarettes a day, 11.4 million a month, or 139.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.2 million minutes a day and 1.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Buncombe County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 37 lifetimes a year.
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