Health Profile of Mitchell County, North Carolina
Mitchell 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
Mitchell County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mitchell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.3% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mitchell County is 77.4 years, about 0.3 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 9.3%, lower than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.7% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,874 residents in Mitchell County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 474 159 men · 315 women
- 75–84 1,077 479 men · 599 women
- 65–74 2,021 995 men · 1,025 women
- 50–64 3,303 1,578 men · 1,725 women
Younger residents
2,540 residents in Mitchell County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 800 437 boys · 363 girls
- 7–12 757 375 boys · 382 girls
- 3–7 580 280 boys · 300 girls
- 0–3 404 206 boys · 197 girls
About 1,247 residents in Mitchell County (8.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mitchell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.1% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.5% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.2% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Mitchell County is about 19% higher than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mitchell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.6% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.7% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.3% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mitchell County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 25,462 cigarettes a day, 763,845 a month, or 9.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 280,077 minutes a day and 102.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mitchell County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.51 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 | Mitchell County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.05 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mitchell County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mitchell County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mitchell County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 14,959 residents against a local median of 18,788. Mitchell County, NC's uninsured, at 9.3%, runs 19% below the 11.5% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.3% on uninsured, so Mitchell County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mitchell County, NC has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County, NC | 14,959 | 77.4 yrs #2/6 | 9.3% #3/6 | 31.3% #1/6 |
| Yancey County, NC | 18,788 | 76.7 yrs | 7.2% | 34.7% |
| Avery County, NC | 17,672 | 79.2 yrs | 12.5% | 33.4% |
| Carter County, TN | 56,703 | 75.0 yrs | 11.7% | 39.3% |
| Unicoi County, TN | 17,742 | 75.1 yrs | 8.2% | 35.2% |
| McDowell County, NC | 44,809 | 76.6 yrs | 11.5% | 34.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mitchell 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 Mitchell County, North Carolina.
Is Mitchell County, North Carolina a healthy place to live?
Mitchell 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 Mitchell County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Mitchell County ranks 39th 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 Mitchell County, North Carolina?
People in Mitchell County, North Carolina can expect to live 77.4 years on average, about the same as the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What is the uninsured rate in Mitchell County, North Carolina?
9.3% of residents in Mitchell County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 0.5 points below the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What percentage of Mitchell County, North Carolina residents are obese?
31.3% of adults in Mitchell County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.5 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mitchell County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 25,462 cigarettes a day, 763,845 a month, or 9.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 280,077 minutes a day and 102.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mitchell County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.51 lifetimes a year.
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