Health Profile of Rowan County, North Carolina
Rowan 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
Rowan County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.3% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.3% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rowan County is 75.0 years, about 2.1 years shorter 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 16.3% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
55,294 residents in Rowan County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,586 794 men · 1,792 women
- 75–84 7,690 3,394 men · 4,296 women
- 65–74 14,291 6,745 men · 7,545 women
- 50–64 30,727 15,192 men · 15,535 women
Younger residents
31,984 residents in Rowan County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 10,354 5,382 boys · 4,972 girls
- 7–12 9,336 4,828 boys · 4,508 girls
- 3–7 7,041 3,565 boys · 3,475 girls
- 0–3 5,254 2,643 boys · 2,611 girls
About 10,307 residents in Rowan County (6.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.0% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.3% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.7% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Rowan County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rowan County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.0% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.7% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.5% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Rowan County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 244,728 cigarettes a day, 7.3 million a month, or 89.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.7 million minutes a day and 982.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rowan County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 25 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 | Rowan 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 Rowan County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rowan County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Rowan County, NC is typical in size for this group, 149,851 residents against a local median of 173,005, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Rowan County, NC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 12% above the local median at 36.7% against 32.8%. Rowan County, NC has the 5th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County, NC | 149,851 | 75.0 yrs #6/6 | 9.3% #5/6 | 36.7% #5/6 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 236,149 | 77.3 yrs | 7.9% | 32.0% |
| Davie County, NC | 44,122 | 77.6 yrs | 8.8% | 32.8% |
| Davidson County, NC | 173,005 | 75.9 yrs | 9.4% | 34.7% |
| Iredell County, NC | 196,543 | 77.0 yrs | 9.0% | 32.7% |
| Stanly County, NC | 64,639 | 76.8 yrs | 9.0% | 39.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rowan 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 Rowan County, North Carolina.
Is Rowan County, North Carolina a healthy place to live?
Rowan 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 Rowan County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Rowan County ranks 64th 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 Rowan County, North Carolina?
People in Rowan County, North Carolina can expect to live 75.0 years on average, 2.1 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What is the uninsured rate in Rowan County, North Carolina?
9.3% of residents in Rowan County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 0.5 points below the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Rowan County, North Carolina?
36.7% of adults in Rowan County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.0 points above the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rowan County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 244,728 cigarettes a day, 7.3 million a month, or 89.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.7 million minutes a day and 982.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rowan County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 25 lifetimes a year.
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