Health Profile of McDowell County, North Carolina
McDowell 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
McDowell County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | McDowell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in McDowell County is 76.6 years, about 0.5 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 11.5%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.0% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
18,246 residents in McDowell County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 976 334 men · 641 women
- 75–84 2,586 1,111 men · 1,475 women
- 65–74 5,209 2,482 men · 2,727 women
- 50–64 9,475 4,612 men · 4,864 women
Younger residents
8,524 residents in McDowell County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,705 1,397 boys · 1,308 girls
- 7–12 2,583 1,421 boys · 1,162 girls
- 3–7 1,905 1,011 boys · 894 girls
- 0–3 1,331 665 boys · 666 girls
About 3,073 residents in McDowell County (6.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | McDowell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.9% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.6% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in McDowell County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | McDowell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.5% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.4% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.2% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in McDowell County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 77,728 cigarettes a day, 2.3 million a month, or 28.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 855,006 minutes a day and 312.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in McDowell County is 76.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.75 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 | McDowell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.47 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in McDowell County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
McDowell County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
McDowell County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 44,809 residents against a local median of 18,788. Nothing separates McDowell County, NC sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 5% above the local median at 11.5% against 11.0%. McDowell County, NC has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell County, NC | 44,809 | 76.6 yrs #5/6 | 11.5% #4/6 | 34.6% #5/6 |
| Rutherford County, NC | 64,922 | 74.9 yrs | 12.0% | 33.5% |
| Yancey County, NC | 18,788 | 76.7 yrs | 7.2% | 34.7% |
| Mitchell County, NC | 14,959 | 77.4 yrs | 9.3% | 31.3% |
| Burke County, NC | 87,684 | 76.7 yrs | 11.0% | 33.4% |
| Avery County, NC | 17,672 | 79.2 yrs | 12.5% | 33.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, McDowell County, North Carolina has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than North Carolina, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in McDowell County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for McDowell County, North Carolina?
McDowell 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 McDowell County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
McDowell County ranks 51st 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 McDowell County, North Carolina?
People in McDowell County, North Carolina can expect to live 76.6 years on average, about the same as the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of McDowell County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
11.5% of residents in McDowell County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.7 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What percentage of McDowell County, North Carolina residents are obese?
34.6% of adults in McDowell 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 McDowell County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 77,728 cigarettes a day, 2.3 million a month, or 28.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 855,006 minutes a day and 312.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in McDowell County is 76.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.75 lifetimes a year.
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