Health Profile of Watauga County, North Carolina
Watauga 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
Watauga County Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.3% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.9% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Watauga County is 80.3 years, about 3.1 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 11.9% of residents, lower than the North Carolina average of 16.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
17,314 residents in Watauga County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 726 268 men · 457 women
- 75–84 2,572 1,233 men · 1,339 women
- 65–74 5,147 2,507 men · 2,641 women
- 50–64 8,869 4,280 men · 4,589 women
Younger residents
6,444 residents in Watauga County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,966 1,018 boys · 948 girls
- 7–12 1,969 989 boys · 979 girls
- 3–7 1,499 737 boys · 763 girls
- 0–3 1,010 520 boys · 490 girls
About 1,608 residents in Watauga County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.4% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.9% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.3% | 35.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Watauga County is about 32% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of heart disease in Watauga County is about 22% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of obesity in Watauga County is about 21% lower than in North Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.8% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.7% | 14.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.1% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Watauga County is about 24% lower than in North Carolina. The rate of smoking in Watauga County is about 24% lower than in North Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 76,534 cigarettes a day, 2.3 million a month, or 27.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 841,871 minutes a day and 307.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Watauga County is 80.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.29 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 | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.32 | 5.99 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Watauga County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Watauga County, NC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Watauga County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 55,114 residents against a local median of 26,946. The measure that sets Watauga County, NC apart most is uninsured: 9.3%, 20% below the local median of 11.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 28.3% against a local median of 35.3%, 20% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Watauga County, NC is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 3.6% on uninsured, so Watauga County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Watauga County, NC has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga County, NC | 55,114 | 80.3 yrs #1/6 | 9.3% #1/6 | 28.3% #1/6 |
| Johnson County, TN | 18,196 | 73.7 yrs | 13.4% | 37.8% |
| Avery County, NC | 17,672 | 79.2 yrs | 12.5% | 33.4% |
| Ashe County, NC | 26,946 | 77.5 yrs | 9.8% | 34.3% |
| Caldwell County, NC | 80,517 | 75.9 yrs | 10.5% | 35.3% |
| Carter County, TN | 56,703 | 75.0 yrs | 11.7% | 39.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Watauga County, North Carolina has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than North Carolina, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Watauga County, North Carolina.
What is the health grade for Watauga County, North Carolina?
Watauga 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 Watauga County, North Carolina one of the healthiest counties in North Carolina?
Watauga County ranks 3rd 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 Watauga County, North Carolina?
People in Watauga County, North Carolina can expect to live 80.3 years on average, 3.1 years longer than the North Carolina average of 77.1.
What is the uninsured rate in Watauga County, North Carolina?
9.3% of residents in Watauga 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 Watauga County, North Carolina residents are obese?
28.3% of adults in Watauga County, North Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 7.5 points below the North Carolina rate of 35.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Watauga County, North Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 76,534 cigarettes a day, 2.3 million a month, or 27.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 841,871 minutes a day and 307.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Watauga County is 80.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.29 lifetimes a year.
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