Health Profile of Graham County, North Carolina
Graham 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
Graham County Below averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.5% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Graham County is 75.2 years, about 1.9 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 12.5%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.5% of residents, higher than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,491 residents in Graham County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 216 95 men · 121 women
- 75–84 584 266 men · 318 women
- 65–74 1,032 476 men · 556 women
- 50–64 1,659 803 men · 856 women
Younger residents
1,547 residents in Graham County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 570 302 boys · 268 girls
- 7–12 475 230 boys · 245 girls
- 3–7 295 144 boys · 150 girls
- 0–3 207 107 boys · 100 girls
About 782 residents in Graham County (9.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.0% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.0% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Graham County is about 20% higher than in North Carolina. The rate of cancer in Graham County is about 17% higher than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.9% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.9% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.2% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Graham County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,918 cigarettes a day, 447,553 a month, or 5.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 164,103 minutes a day and 59.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Graham County is 75.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.51 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 | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.43 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Graham County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Graham County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Graham County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 8,067 residents against a local median of 29,563. Graham 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, 5% below the local median at 34.0% against 35.9%. Graham County, NC has the 3rd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham County, NC | 8,067 | 75.2 yrs #5/6 | 12.5% #3/6 | 34.0% #3/6 |
| Clay County, NC | 11,613 | 78.2 yrs | 15.9% | 32.4% |
| Cherokee County, NC | 29,563 | 76.2 yrs | 12.5% | 33.7% |
| Blount County, TN | 139,333 | 76.5 yrs | 9.4% | 36.9% |
| Swain County, NC | 14,014 | 75.5 yrs | 23.9% | 35.9% |
| Monroe County, TN | 47,695 | 75.1 yrs | 11.7% | 36.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Graham County, North Carolina has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with North Carolina, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Graham County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for Graham County, North Carolina?
Graham 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 Graham County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Graham County ranks 77th 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 Graham County, North Carolina?
People in Graham County, North Carolina can expect to live 75.2 years on average, 1.9 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Graham County, North Carolina?
12.5% of residents in Graham County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 2.7 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Graham County, North Carolina?
34.0% of adults in Graham County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.8 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Graham County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,918 cigarettes a day, 447,553 a month, or 5.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 164,103 minutes a day and 59.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Graham County is 75.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.51 lifetimes a year.
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