Health Profile of Nelson County, North Dakota
Nelson 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
Nelson County Around averageLess healthy than 78% of counties in North Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Nelson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.0% | 6.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.3% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Nelson County is 77.6 years, about 1.8 years shorter than the North Dakota average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 4.0%, lower than the North Dakota average of 6.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by about the same share of residents as in North Dakota, at 14.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,552 residents in Nelson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 194 53 men · 140 women
- 75–84 229 123 men · 106 women
- 65–74 428 218 men · 210 women
- 50–64 701 367 men · 334 women
Younger residents
549 residents in Nelson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 168 79 boys · 89 girls
- 7–12 174 88 boys · 86 girls
- 3–7 127 61 boys · 66 girls
- 0–3 80 33 boys · 47 girls
About 355 residents in Nelson County (11.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Nelson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.7% | 11.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.8% | 8.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.3% | 8.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.3% | 35.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Nelson County is about 19% higher than in North Dakota. The rate of heart disease in Nelson County is about 16% higher than in North Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Nelson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.9% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.2% | 18.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.3% | 26.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Nelson County are about the same as in North Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 4,041 cigarettes a day, 121,228 a month, or 1.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 44,450 minutes a day and 16.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nelson County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.40 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 | Nelson County | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.47 | 4.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Nelson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Nelson County, ND Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Nelson County, ND is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 3,016 residents against a local median of 10,396. Nelson County, ND's uninsured, at 4.0%, runs 37% below the 6.4% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.8% on uninsured, so Nelson County, ND sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Nelson County, ND has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, ND | 3,016 | 77.6 yrs #6/6 | 4.0% #1/6 | 34.3% #5/6 |
| Griggs County, ND | 2,245 | 80.0 yrs | 5.2% | 34.7% |
| Ramsey County, ND | 11,556 | 78.2 yrs | 8.3% | 32.6% |
| Walsh County, ND | 10,396 | 78.2 yrs | 8.0% | 32.8% |
| Steele County, ND | 1,804 | 84.5 yrs | 6.4% | 34.1% |
| Grand Forks County, ND | 72,923 | 79.2 yrs | 4.5% | 32.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Nelson County, North Dakota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than North Dakota, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Nelson County, North Dakota.
What is the health grade for Nelson County, North Dakota?
Nelson County, North Dakota 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 Nelson County, North Dakota one of the healthiest counties in North Dakota?
Nelson County ranks 41st healthiest out of 52 counties in North Dakota by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Nelson County, North Dakota?
People in Nelson County, North Dakota can expect to live 77.6 years on average, 1.8 years shorter than the North Dakota average of 79.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Nelson County, North Dakota?
4.0% of residents in Nelson County, North Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 25 people, 2.4 points below the North Dakota rate of 6.5%.
How common is obesity in Nelson County, North Dakota?
34.3% of adults in Nelson County, North Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.0 points below the North Dakota rate of 35.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Nelson County, North Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 4,041 cigarettes a day, 121,228 a month, or 1.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 44,450 minutes a day and 16.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nelson County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.40 lifetimes a year.
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