Health Profile of Chowan County, North Carolina
Chowan 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
Chowan County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Chowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.2% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Chowan County is 77.3 years, about 0.2 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 8.2%, lower than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.4% of residents, higher than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,333 residents in Chowan County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 427 161 men · 266 women
- 75–84 913 361 men · 553 women
- 65–74 1,963 890 men · 1,074 women
- 50–64 3,030 1,399 men · 1,631 women
Younger residents
2,659 residents in Chowan County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 921 479 boys · 441 girls
- 7–12 788 426 boys · 362 girls
- 3–7 543 284 boys · 258 girls
- 0–3 408 197 boys · 211 girls
About 1,075 residents in Chowan County (7.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Chowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.5% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.8% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Chowan County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Chowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.0% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.3% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.8% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Chowan County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 21,250 cigarettes a day, 637,488 a month, or 7.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 233,746 minutes a day and 85.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chowan County is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.10 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 | Chowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.18 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Chowan County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Chowan County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Chowan County, NC is typical in size for this group, 13,836 residents against a local median of 13,244, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Chowan County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 16% below the local median of 9.7% at 8.2%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.9% on uninsured, so Chowan County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Chowan County, NC has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chowan County, NC | 13,836 | 77.3 yrs #2/6 | 8.2% #2/6 | 37.8% #2/6 |
| Perquimans County, NC | 13,244 | 77.0 yrs | 9.7% | 35.4% |
| Washington County, NC | 10,812 | 77.3 yrs | 9.2% | 41.0% |
| Gates County, NC | 10,369 | 77.6 yrs | 6.2% | 39.3% |
| Bertie County, NC | 17,166 | 77.0 yrs | 9.9% | 43.2% |
| Pasquotank County, NC | 40,823 | 76.2 yrs | 11.0% | 39.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Chowan 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 Chowan County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Chowan County, North Carolina?
Chowan 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 Chowan County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Chowan County ranks 52nd 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 Chowan County, North Carolina?
People in Chowan County, North Carolina can expect to live 77.3 years on average, about the same as the North Carolina average of 77.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Chowan County, North Carolina?
8.2% of residents in Chowan County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.7 points below the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Chowan County, North Carolina?
37.8% of adults in Chowan County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.0 points above the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Chowan County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 21,250 cigarettes a day, 637,488 a month, or 7.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 233,746 minutes a day and 85.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chowan County is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.10 lifetimes a year.
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