Health Profile of Nebraska
Nebraska 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
Nebraska Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Nebraska
- Wayne County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Sarpy County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Lancaster County (103% of U.S. avg)
- Thurston County (96% of U.S. avg)
- Pawnee County (98% of U.S. avg)
- Dundy County (99% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Nebraska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Nebraska is 79.5 years, about 1.2 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 7.2%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.9% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
649,965 residents in Nebraska are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 41,048 15,164 men · 25,884 women
- 75–84 92,860 40,819 men · 52,041 women
- 65–74 170,724 81,431 men · 89,294 women
- 50–64 345,332 172,405 men · 172,928 women
Younger residents
466,404 residents in Nebraska are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 145,665 75,090 boys · 70,575 girls
- 7–12 138,895 71,201 boys · 67,694 girls
- 3–7 105,017 53,575 boys · 51,443 girls
- 0–3 76,826 39,180 boys · 37,645 girls
About 84,103 residents in Nebraska (4.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Nebraska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Nebraska is about 17% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Nebraska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Nebraska is about 19% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 2.5 million cigarettes a day, 74.2 million a month, or 902.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 27.2 million minutes a day and 9.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nebraska is 79.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.65 lifetimes a day, or 238 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 | Nebraska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Nebraska is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Nebraska Health Compared With Nearby States
Nebraska is the 4th largest of the 6 states compared here, 1,978,686 residents against a local median of 2,945,842. Nebraska 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 states turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 7% below the local median at 7.2% against 7.7%. Nebraska has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 1,978,686 | 79.5 yrs #3/6 | 7.2% #3/6 | 36.1% #4/6 |
| South Dakota | 907,403 | 79.9 yrs | 9.0% | 34.9% |
| Kansas | 2,945,842 | 78.6 yrs | 8.8% | 37.3% |
| North Dakota | 784,730 | 79.4 yrs | 6.5% | 35.3% |
| Colorado | 5,842,429 | 80.0 yrs | 7.7% | 26.3% |
| Iowa | 3,204,793 | 79.2 yrs | 5.0% | 37.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Nebraska has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Nebraska.
Is Nebraska a healthy place to live?
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 Nebraska one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Nebraska ranks 21st healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Nebraska?
People in Nebraska can expect to live 79.5 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Nebraska?
7.2% of residents in Nebraska have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 1.2 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
What is the obesity rate in Nebraska?
36.1% of adults in Nebraska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.8 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Nebraska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 2.5 million cigarettes a day, 74.2 million a month, or 902.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 27.2 million minutes a day and 9.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nebraska is 79.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.65 lifetimes a day, or 238 lifetimes a year.
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