Health Profile of Macon County, North Carolina
Macon 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
Macon County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Macon County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 13.7% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.1% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Macon County is 78.0 years, about 0.9 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 13.7%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.1% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
18,722 residents in Macon County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,048 373 men · 675 women
- 75–84 3,476 1,538 men · 1,938 women
- 65–74 6,051 2,819 men · 3,232 women
- 50–64 8,147 3,961 men · 4,186 women
Younger residents
6,475 residents in Macon County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,192 1,066 boys · 1,126 girls
- 7–12 1,890 961 boys · 929 girls
- 3–7 1,371 753 boys · 618 girls
- 0–3 1,022 586 boys · 436 girls
About 3,282 residents in Macon County (8.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Macon County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.3% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.1% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.0% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Macon County is about 31% higher than in North Carolina. The rate of heart disease in Macon County is about 21% higher than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Macon County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.6% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.2% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Macon County is about 16% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 54,224 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 596,469 minutes a day and 217.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Macon County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.31 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 | Macon County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.56 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Macon County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Macon County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Macon County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 37,947 residents against a local median of 14,014. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Macon County, NC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 13% below the local median at 13.7% against 15.8%. Macon County, NC has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County, NC | 37,947 | 78.0 yrs #4/6 | 13.7% #2/6 | 32.0% #2/6 |
| Rabun County, GA | 17,312 | 77.5 yrs | 13.9% | 35.3% |
| Jackson County, NC | 43,786 | 78.3 yrs | 15.8% | 34.2% |
| Clay County, NC | 11,613 | 78.2 yrs | 15.9% | 32.4% |
| Swain County, NC | 14,014 | 75.5 yrs | 23.9% | 35.9% |
| Towns County, GA | 12,900 | 79.6 yrs | 11.5% | 31.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Macon 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 Macon County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for Macon County, North Carolina?
Macon 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 Macon County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Macon County ranks 38th 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.
How long do people live in Macon County, North Carolina?
People in Macon County, North Carolina can expect to live 78.0 years on average, 0.9 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Macon County, North Carolina?
13.7% of residents in Macon County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 3.8 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What percentage of Macon County, North Carolina residents are obese?
32.0% of adults in Macon County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.8 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Macon County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 54,224 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 596,469 minutes a day and 217.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Macon County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.31 lifetimes a year.
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