Health Profile of Caldwell County, North Carolina
Caldwell 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.
-
C
Caldwell County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Caldwell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.9% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Caldwell County is 75.9 years, about 1.2 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 10.5%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.9% of residents, higher than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
33,069 residents in Caldwell County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,690 543 men · 1,147 women
- 75–84 4,629 2,101 men · 2,528 women
- 65–74 9,389 4,565 men · 4,824 women
- 50–64 17,361 8,531 men · 8,829 women
Younger residents
15,313 residents in Caldwell County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,994 2,452 boys · 2,542 girls
- 7–12 4,421 2,254 boys · 2,166 girls
- 3–7 3,358 1,787 boys · 1,571 girls
- 0–3 2,540 1,406 boys · 1,134 girls
About 5,809 residents in Caldwell County (7.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Caldwell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.7% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.9% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.3% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Caldwell County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Caldwell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.8% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.4% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.8% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Caldwell County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 147,071 cigarettes a day, 4.4 million a month, or 53.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.6 million minutes a day and 590.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Caldwell County is 75.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 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 | Caldwell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.24 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Caldwell County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Caldwell County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Caldwell County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 80,517 residents against a local median of 55,114. Nothing separates Caldwell County, NC sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 6% above the local median at 35.3% against 33.4%. Caldwell County, NC has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell County, NC | 80,517 | 75.9 yrs #6/6 | 10.5% #3/6 | 35.3% #6/6 |
| Burke County, NC | 87,684 | 76.7 yrs | 11.0% | 33.4% |
| Watauga County, NC | 55,114 | 80.3 yrs | 9.3% | 28.3% |
| Alexander County, NC | 36,412 | 77.2 yrs | 8.1% | 34.4% |
| Avery County, NC | 17,672 | 79.2 yrs | 12.5% | 33.4% |
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | 75.9 yrs | 10.6% | 31.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Caldwell 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 Caldwell County, North Carolina.
Is Caldwell County, North Carolina a healthy place to live?
Caldwell 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 Caldwell County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Caldwell County ranks 62nd 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 Caldwell County, North Carolina?
People in Caldwell County, North Carolina can expect to live 75.9 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Caldwell County, North Carolina?
10.5% of residents in Caldwell County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 0.6 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
How common is obesity in Caldwell County, North Carolina?
35.3% of adults in Caldwell County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Caldwell County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 147,071 cigarettes a day, 4.4 million a month, or 53.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.6 million minutes a day and 590.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Caldwell County is 75.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →