Health Profile of Buffalo County, Nebraska
Buffalo 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
Buffalo County Around averageHealthier than 89% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.0% | 7.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.0% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Buffalo County is 80.8 years, about 1.3 years longer than the Nebraska average of 79.5 years. The uninsured rate is 7.0%, lower than the Nebraska average of 7.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.0% of residents, lower than the Nebraska average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
15,421 residents in Buffalo County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,080 350 men · 729 women
- 75–84 2,169 917 men · 1,252 women
- 65–74 4,052 1,920 men · 2,132 women
- 50–64 8,120 4,078 men · 4,042 women
Younger residents
11,115 residents in Buffalo County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,501 1,855 boys · 1,646 girls
- 7–12 3,271 1,720 boys · 1,551 girls
- 3–7 2,493 1,308 boys · 1,185 girls
- 0–3 1,851 962 boys · 890 girls
About 1,826 residents in Buffalo County (3.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.5% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.4% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Buffalo County is about 27% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of cancer in Buffalo County is about 26% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of diabetes in Buffalo County is about 20% lower than in Nebraska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.7% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 22.7% | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.2% | 24.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Buffalo County is about 17% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of binge drinking in Buffalo County is about 15% higher than in Nebraska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 61,260 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 22.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 673,860 minutes a day and 246.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Buffalo County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 5.79 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 | Buffalo County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.35 | 5.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Buffalo County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Buffalo County, NE Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Buffalo County, NE is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 50,579 residents against a local median of 9,009. Buffalo County, NE sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 14% above the local median at 7.0% against 6.1%. Buffalo County, NE has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County, NE | 50,579 | 80.8 yrs #1/6 | 7.0% #5/6 | 32.4% #1/6 |
| Kearney County, NE | 6,713 | 78.3 yrs | 6.1% | 36.8% |
| Sherman County, NE | 2,967 | 77.3 yrs | 4.1% | 37.2% |
| Phelps County, NE | 9,009 | 80.1 yrs | 6.2% | 36.3% |
| Hall County, NE | 62,536 | 79.5 yrs | 12.9% | 39.0% |
| Adams County, NE | 31,052 | 79.2 yrs | 5.8% | 37.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Buffalo County, Nebraska has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Nebraska, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Buffalo County, Nebraska.
Is Buffalo County, Nebraska a healthy place to live?
Buffalo County, Nebraska 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 Buffalo County, Nebraska one of the healthiest counties in Nebraska?
Buffalo County ranks 10th healthiest out of 84 counties in Nebraska by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
People in Buffalo County, Nebraska can expect to live 80.8 years on average, 1.3 years longer than the Nebraska average of 79.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
7.0% of residents in Buffalo County, Nebraska have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, about the same as the Nebraska rate of 7.2%.
What is the obesity rate in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
32.4% of adults in Buffalo County, Nebraska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.8 points below the Nebraska rate of 36.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Buffalo County, Nebraska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 61,260 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 22.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 673,860 minutes a day and 246.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Buffalo County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 5.79 lifetimes a year.
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