Health Profile of Durham County, North Carolina
Durham 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
Durham County Around averageHealthier than 88% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.8% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Durham County is 78.5 years, about 1.4 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 10.8%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.7% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
97,070 residents in Durham County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,445 1,659 men · 2,785 women
- 75–84 11,320 4,532 men · 6,788 women
- 65–74 24,030 10,642 men · 13,388 women
- 50–64 57,275 27,309 men · 29,966 women
Younger residents
64,420 residents in Durham County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 18,896 9,664 boys · 9,233 girls
- 7–12 18,087 9,151 boys · 8,936 girls
- 3–7 15,146 7,552 boys · 7,594 girls
- 0–3 12,291 6,106 boys · 6,185 girls
About 11,179 residents in Durham County (3.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.1% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.8% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.3% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Durham County is about 37% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of cancer in Durham County is about 29% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of diabetes in Durham County is about 19% lower than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.3% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.1% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Durham County is about 21% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 432,124 cigarettes a day, 13.0 million a month, or 157.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.8 million minutes a day and 1.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Durham County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.12 lifetimes a day, or 42 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 | Durham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.74 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Durham County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Durham County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Durham County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 331,707 residents against a local median of 80,150. The measure that sets Durham County, NC apart most is uninsured: 10.8%, 16% above the local median of 9.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.9% on uninsured, so Durham County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Durham County, NC has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham County, NC | 331,707 | 78.5 yrs #4/6 | 10.8% #6/6 | 36.3% #5/6 |
| Orange County, NC | 149,658 | 79.8 yrs | 6.5% | 26.5% |
| Wake County, NC | 1,178,613 | 80.2 yrs | 7.5% | 28.8% |
| Granville County, NC | 60,874 | 77.8 yrs | 9.3% | 35.9% |
| Person County, NC | 39,541 | 76.4 yrs | 9.4% | 37.9% |
| Chatham County, NC | 80,150 | 82.8 yrs | 9.4% | 32.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Durham 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 Durham County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Durham County, North Carolina?
Durham 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 Durham County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Durham County ranks 13th 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 Durham County, North Carolina?
People in Durham County, North Carolina can expect to live 78.5 years on average, 1.4 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of Durham County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
10.8% of residents in Durham 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 Durham County, North Carolina residents are obese?
36.3% of adults in Durham County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.5 points above the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Durham County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 432,124 cigarettes a day, 13.0 million a month, or 157.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.8 million minutes a day and 1.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Durham County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.12 lifetimes a day, or 42 lifetimes a year.
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