Health Profile of Jefferson County, Nebraska
Jefferson 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
Jefferson County Around averageLess healthy than 89% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.6% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.3 years, about 3.2 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5 years. The uninsured rate is 8.4%, higher than the Nebraska average of 7.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.6% of residents, higher than the Nebraska average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,239 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 247 78 men · 169 women
- 75–84 581 261 men · 320 women
- 65–74 888 424 men · 464 women
- 50–64 1,524 780 men · 744 women
Younger residents
1,501 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 438 188 boys · 250 girls
- 7–12 460 245 boys · 215 girls
- 3–7 360 186 boys · 174 girls
- 0–3 243 101 boys · 142 girls
About 732 residents in Jefferson County (10.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jefferson County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.1% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.5% | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.6% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.6% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Jefferson County is about 15% higher than in Nebraska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.1% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.7% | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.6% | 24.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Jefferson County is about 15% higher than in Nebraska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,572 cigarettes a day, 317,156 a month, or 3.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 116,290 minutes a day and 42.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.06 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 | Jefferson County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.12 | 5.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jefferson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jefferson County, NE Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, NE is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,161 residents against a local median of 5,541. The measure that sets Jefferson County, NE apart most is uninsured: 8.4%, 63% above the local median of 5.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.6% on uninsured, so Jefferson County, NE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, NE has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, NE | 7,161 | 76.3 yrs #6/6 | 8.4% #5/6 | 34.6% #1/6 |
| Saline County, NE | 14,650 | 77.4 yrs | 9.7% | 35.6% |
| Washington County, KS | 5,533 | 80.4 yrs | 5.4% | 39.4% |
| Thayer County, NE | 4,901 | 78.9 yrs | 5.2% | 36.4% |
| Gage County, NE | 21,629 | 77.6 yrs | 5.1% | 37.9% |
| Fillmore County, NE | 5,541 | 77.4 yrs | 4.1% | 36.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson County, Nebraska has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Nebraska, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Jefferson County, Nebraska.
What is the health grade for Jefferson County, Nebraska?
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Nebraska one of the healthiest counties in Nebraska?
Jefferson County ranks 75th 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 Jefferson County, Nebraska?
People in Jefferson County, Nebraska can expect to live 76.3 years on average, 3.2 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Jefferson County, Nebraska?
8.4% of residents in Jefferson County, Nebraska have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.3 points above the Nebraska rate of 7.2%.
What percentage of Jefferson County, Nebraska residents are obese?
34.6% of adults in Jefferson County, Nebraska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.5 points below the Nebraska rate of 36.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Nebraska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,572 cigarettes a day, 317,156 a month, or 3.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 116,290 minutes a day and 42.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.06 lifetimes a year.
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