Health Profile of Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson 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
Jackson County Around averageHealthier than 74% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 15.8% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jackson County is 78.3 years, about 1.2 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 15.8%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.0% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
16,313 residents in Jackson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 703 263 men · 439 women
- 75–84 2,527 1,114 men · 1,413 women
- 65–74 4,988 2,339 men · 2,648 women
- 50–64 8,096 3,828 men · 4,268 women
Younger residents
6,988 residents in Jackson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,295 1,277 boys · 1,018 girls
- 7–12 2,097 1,069 boys · 1,028 girls
- 3–7 1,527 746 boys · 782 girls
- 0–3 1,068 561 boys · 508 girls
About 2,131 residents in Jackson County (4.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.8% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.1% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.3% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.2% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Jackson County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.3% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.0% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.2% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Jackson County is about 16% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 67,173 cigarettes a day, 2.0 million a month, or 24.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 738,904 minutes a day and 269.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jackson County is 78.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.55 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 | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.38 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jackson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jackson County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 43,786 residents against a local median of 33,685. Where Jackson County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 15% above the local median of 13.7% at 15.8%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 12.6% on uninsured, so Jackson County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jackson County, NC has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, NC | 43,786 | 78.3 yrs #2/6 | 15.8% #5/6 | 34.2% #4/6 |
| Haywood County, NC | 59,366 | 77.1 yrs | 11.4% | 34.1% |
| Macon County, NC | 37,947 | 78.0 yrs | 13.7% | 32.0% |
| Transylvania County, NC | 33,685 | 79.9 yrs | 11.3% | 28.7% |
| Swain County, NC | 14,014 | 75.5 yrs | 23.9% | 35.9% |
| Rabun County, GA | 17,312 | 77.5 yrs | 13.9% | 35.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jackson 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 Jackson County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Jackson County, North Carolina?
Jackson 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 Jackson County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Jackson County ranks 27th 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 Jackson County, North Carolina?
People in Jackson County, North Carolina can expect to live 78.3 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What is the uninsured rate in Jackson County, North Carolina?
15.8% of residents in Jackson County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 6 people, 5.9 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Jackson County, North Carolina?
34.2% of adults in Jackson County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.5 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jackson County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 67,173 cigarettes a day, 2.0 million a month, or 24.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 738,904 minutes a day and 269.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jackson County is 78.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.55 lifetimes a year.
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