Health Profile of Rutherford County, North Carolina
Rutherford 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
Rutherford County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rutherford County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.0% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.3% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rutherford County is 74.9 years, about 2.2 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 12.0%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.3% of residents, higher than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
27,764 residents in Rutherford County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,263 375 men · 889 women
- 75–84 4,389 1,857 men · 2,532 women
- 65–74 7,917 3,709 men · 4,208 women
- 50–64 14,194 6,946 men · 7,248 women
Younger residents
12,609 residents in Rutherford County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,020 2,085 boys · 1,934 girls
- 7–12 3,855 1,899 boys · 1,956 girls
- 3–7 2,795 1,347 boys · 1,448 girls
- 0–3 1,939 968 boys · 971 girls
About 5,743 residents in Rutherford County (8.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rutherford County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.5% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Rutherford County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rutherford County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.7% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.5% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.1% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Rutherford County are about the same as in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 117,963 cigarettes a day, 3.5 million a month, or 43.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 473.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rutherford County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 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 | Rutherford County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.41 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rutherford County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rutherford County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Rutherford County, NC is typical in size for this group, 64,922 residents against a local median of 56,649, 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 Rutherford County, NC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 14% above the local median at 12.0% against 10.5%. Rutherford County, NC has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, NC | 64,922 | 74.9 yrs #4/6 | 12.0% #6/6 | 33.5% #3/6 |
| Polk County, NC | 19,891 | 79.5 yrs | 9.9% | 32.8% |
| McDowell County, NC | 44,809 | 76.6 yrs | 11.5% | 34.6% |
| Cleveland County, NC | 100,962 | 74.6 yrs | 9.3% | 37.8% |
| Burke County, NC | 87,684 | 76.7 yrs | 11.0% | 33.4% |
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,649 | 74.2 yrs | 10.5% | 39.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, North Carolina.
How healthy is Rutherford County, North Carolina?
Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Rutherford County ranks 67th 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 Rutherford County, North Carolina?
People in Rutherford County, North Carolina can expect to live 74.9 years on average, 2.2 years shorter than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of Rutherford County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
12.0% of residents in Rutherford County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 2.2 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What percentage of Rutherford County, North Carolina residents are obese?
33.5% of adults in Rutherford County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.3 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rutherford County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 117,963 cigarettes a day, 3.5 million a month, or 43.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 473.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rutherford County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 lifetimes a year.
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