Health Profile of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Mecklenburg 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
Mecklenburg County Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mecklenburg County is 78.5 years, about 1.4 years longer 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 12.2% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
319,489 residents in Mecklenburg County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 13,907 4,501 men · 9,406 women
- 75–84 33,941 13,591 men · 20,350 women
- 65–74 72,049 32,122 men · 39,927 women
- 50–64 199,592 94,595 men · 104,997 women
Younger residents
258,170 residents in Mecklenburg County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 76,360 38,844 boys · 37,516 girls
- 7–12 74,911 38,327 boys · 36,584 girls
- 3–7 60,470 30,973 boys · 29,497 girls
- 0–3 46,429 23,800 boys · 22,630 girls
About 33,581 residents in Mecklenburg County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.1% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.6% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Mecklenburg County is about 39% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of cancer in Mecklenburg County is about 28% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of diabetes in Mecklenburg County is about 26% lower than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.7% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.3% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.5% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Mecklenburg County is about 24% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Mecklenburg County is about 19% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.4 million cigarettes a day, 42.0 million a month, or 511.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 15.4 million minutes a day and 5.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mecklenburg County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.37 lifetimes a day, or 136 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 | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.59 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mecklenburg County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mecklenburg County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mecklenburg County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,154,528 residents against a local median of 236,149. Where Mecklenburg County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 46% above the local median of 7.9% at 11.5%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.1% on uninsured, so Mecklenburg County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mecklenburg County, NC has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 1,154,528 | 78.5 yrs #1/6 | 11.5% #6/6 | 30.6% #1/6 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 236,149 | 77.3 yrs | 7.9% | 32.0% |
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | 75.0 yrs | 10.7% | 32.3% |
| Union County, NC | 250,888 | 78.3 yrs | 7.7% | 32.3% |
| York County, SC | 293,716 | 77.2 yrs | 7.6% | 37.0% |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | 77.3 yrs | 8.7% | 33.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Mecklenburg County ranks 4th 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
People in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina can expect to live 78.5 years on average, 1.4 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
11.5% of residents in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.7 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
30.6% of adults in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.1 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.4 million cigarettes a day, 42.0 million a month, or 511.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 15.4 million minutes a day and 5.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mecklenburg County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.37 lifetimes a day, or 136 lifetimes a year.
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