Health Profile of Henderson County, North Carolina
Henderson 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
Henderson County Around averageHealthier than 86% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Henderson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.4 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.4% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Henderson County is 79.4 years, about 2.2 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 12.4%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.4% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
54,735 residents in Henderson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,418 1,512 men · 1,905 women
- 75–84 9,740 4,256 men · 5,484 women
- 65–74 16,723 7,480 men · 9,243 women
- 50–64 24,854 12,014 men · 12,840 women
Younger residents
21,312 residents in Henderson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,923 3,390 boys · 3,532 girls
- 7–12 6,389 3,324 boys · 3,064 girls
- 3–7 4,656 2,415 boys · 2,241 girls
- 0–3 3,344 1,610 boys · 1,734 girls
About 8,085 residents in Henderson County (6.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Henderson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.7% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.5% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Henderson County is about 23% higher than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Henderson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.1% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.8% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.2% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Henderson County is about 22% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Henderson County is about 16% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 155,083 cigarettes a day, 4.7 million a month, or 56.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.7 million minutes a day and 622.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Henderson County is 79.4 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 | Henderson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.60 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Henderson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Henderson County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Henderson County, NC is typical in size for this group, 118,522 residents against a local median of 134,527, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Henderson County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 24% above the local median of 10.0% at 12.4%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.7% on uninsured, so Henderson County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Henderson County, NC has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County, NC | 118,522 | 79.4 yrs #3/6 | 12.4% #6/6 | 34.5% #6/6 |
| Buncombe County, NC | 274,254 | 77.9 yrs | 10.9% | 30.2% |
| Polk County, NC | 19,891 | 79.5 yrs | 9.9% | 32.8% |
| Transylvania County, NC | 33,685 | 79.9 yrs | 11.3% | 28.7% |
| Greenville County, SC | 547,972 | 77.5 yrs | 10.0% | 33.9% |
| Pickens County, SC | 134,527 | 75.5 yrs | 8.6% | 29.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Henderson 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 Henderson County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Henderson County, North Carolina?
Henderson 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 Henderson County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Henderson County ranks 15th 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 Henderson County, North Carolina?
People in Henderson County, North Carolina can expect to live 79.4 years on average, 2.2 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Henderson County, North Carolina?
12.4% of residents in Henderson County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 2.6 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Henderson County, North Carolina?
34.5% of adults in Henderson County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.2 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Henderson County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 155,083 cigarettes a day, 4.7 million a month, or 56.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.7 million minutes a day and 622.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Henderson County is 79.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 15 lifetimes a year.
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