Health Profile of Transylvania County, North Carolina
Transylvania 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
Transylvania County Around averageHealthier than 79% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.3% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Transylvania County is 79.9 years, about 2.8 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1 years. The uninsured rate is 11.3%, higher than the North Carolina average of 9.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.0% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
17,037 residents in Transylvania County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,211 503 men · 708 women
- 75–84 3,344 1,506 men · 1,838 women
- 65–74 5,300 2,518 men · 2,782 women
- 50–64 7,181 3,346 men · 3,835 women
Younger residents
5,209 residents in Transylvania County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,604 898 boys · 706 girls
- 7–12 1,575 753 boys · 822 girls
- 3–7 1,198 531 boys · 667 girls
- 0–3 832 376 boys · 456 girls
About 2,594 residents in Transylvania County (7.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.9% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.9% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.7% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Transylvania County is about 30% higher than in North Carolina. The rate of obesity in Transylvania County is about 20% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of heart disease in Transylvania County is about 18% higher than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.5% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.9% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.3% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Transylvania County is about 15% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 49,844 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 18.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 548,281 minutes a day and 200.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Transylvania County is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.77 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 | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.39 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Transylvania County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Transylvania County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Transylvania County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 33,685 residents against a local median of 118,522. The measure that sets Transylvania County, NC apart most is obesity: 28.7%, 16% below the local median of 34.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.9% on obesity, so Transylvania County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Transylvania County, NC has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transylvania County, NC | 33,685 | 79.9 yrs #1/6 | 11.3% #3/6 | 28.7% #1/6 |
| Pickens County, SC | 134,527 | 75.5 yrs | 8.6% | 29.7% |
| Henderson County, NC | 118,522 | 79.4 yrs | 12.4% | 34.5% |
| Jackson County, NC | 43,786 | 78.3 yrs | 15.8% | 34.2% |
| Haywood County, NC | 59,366 | 77.1 yrs | 11.4% | 34.1% |
| Buncombe County, NC | 274,254 | 77.9 yrs | 10.9% | 30.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Transylvania 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 Transylvania County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for Transylvania County, North Carolina?
Transylvania 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 Transylvania County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Transylvania County ranks 22nd 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 Transylvania County, North Carolina?
People in Transylvania County, North Carolina can expect to live 79.9 years on average, 2.8 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What percentage of Transylvania County, North Carolina residents are uninsured?
11.3% of residents in Transylvania County, North Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.4 points above the North Carolina rate of 9.9%.
What percentage of Transylvania County, North Carolina residents are obese?
28.7% of adults in Transylvania County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 7.1 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Transylvania County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 49,844 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 18.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 548,281 minutes a day and 200.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Transylvania County is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.77 lifetimes a year.
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