Health Profile of Gaston County, North Carolina
Gaston 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
Gaston County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.7% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Gaston County is 75.0 years, about 2.1 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 10.7%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.6% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
83,528 residents in Gaston County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,662 1,254 men · 2,408 women
- 75–84 10,787 4,344 men · 6,443 women
- 65–74 21,337 9,774 men · 11,563 women
- 50–64 47,742 23,265 men · 24,477 women
Younger residents
52,114 residents in Gaston County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 16,342 8,234 boys · 8,108 girls
- 7–12 15,533 7,931 boys · 7,602 girls
- 3–7 11,716 6,083 boys · 5,632 girls
- 0–3 8,523 4,442 boys · 4,081 girls
About 14,446 residents in Gaston County (6.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.8% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.3% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Gaston County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.0% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.8% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Gaston County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 389,283 cigarettes a day, 11.7 million a month, or 142.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.3 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Gaston County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 40 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 | Gaston County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.39 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Gaston County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Gaston County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Gaston County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 234,809 residents against a local median of 163,556. Gaston County, NC's uninsured, at 10.7%, runs 15% above the 9.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Gaston County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Gaston County, NC has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | 75.0 yrs #5/6 | 10.7% #5/6 | 32.3% #3/6 |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | 77.3 yrs | 8.7% | 33.5% |
| York County, SC | 293,716 | 77.2 yrs | 7.6% | 37.0% |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 1,154,528 | 78.5 yrs | 11.5% | 30.6% |
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | 75.9 yrs | 10.6% | 31.0% |
| Cleveland County, NC | 100,962 | 74.6 yrs | 9.3% | 37.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Gaston 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 Gaston County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for Gaston County, North Carolina?
Gaston 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 Gaston County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Gaston County ranks 42nd 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 life expectancy in Gaston County, North Carolina?
People in Gaston County, North Carolina can expect to live 75.0 years on average, 2.1 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of Gaston County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
10.7% of residents in Gaston County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 0.9 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
How common is obesity in Gaston County, North Carolina?
32.3% of adults in Gaston County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.5 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Gaston County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 389,283 cigarettes a day, 11.7 million a month, or 142.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.3 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Gaston County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 40 lifetimes a year.
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