Health Profile of Lancaster County, Nebraska
Lancaster 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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A
Lancaster County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.9% | 7.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 9.6% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lancaster County is 79.3 years, about 0.2 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5 years. The uninsured rate is 5.9%, lower than the Nebraska average of 7.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 9.6% of residents, lower than the Nebraska average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
95,078 residents in Lancaster County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 5,510 2,042 men · 3,468 women
- 75–84 12,435 5,445 men · 6,990 women
- 65–74 25,283 11,874 men · 13,409 women
- 50–64 51,850 25,750 men · 26,100 women
Younger residents
69,885 residents in Lancaster County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 21,293 10,937 boys · 10,356 girls
- 7–12 21,087 10,549 boys · 10,538 girls
- 3–7 15,996 8,070 boys · 7,926 girls
- 0–3 11,509 5,980 boys · 5,529 girls
About 11,579 residents in Lancaster County (3.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.5% | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.9% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Lancaster County is about 39% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of cancer in Lancaster County is about 32% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of diabetes in Lancaster County is about 30% lower than in Nebraska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.4% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 24.3% | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.5% | 24.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Lancaster County is about 28% lower than in Nebraska. The rate of binge drinking in Lancaster County is about 23% higher than in Nebraska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 389,766 cigarettes a day, 11.7 million a month, or 142.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.3 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 79.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 38 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 | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.51 | 5.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lancaster County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lancaster County, NE Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lancaster County, NE is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 326,713 residents against a local median of 21,629. Lancaster 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 obesity, 10% below the local median at 31.9% against 35.6%. Lancaster County, NE has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, NE | 326,713 | 79.3 yrs #2/6 | 5.9% #3/6 | 31.9% #1/6 |
| Saunders County, NE | 23,048 | 79.9 yrs | 4.2% | 33.4% |
| Seward County, NE | 17,641 | 79.1 yrs | 6.1% | 34.6% |
| Gage County, NE | 21,629 | 77.6 yrs | 5.1% | 37.9% |
| Saline County, NE | 14,650 | 77.4 yrs | 9.7% | 35.6% |
| Cass County, NE | 27,161 | 78.8 yrs | 6.0% | 38.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lancaster County, Nebraska has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Nebraska, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Lancaster County, Nebraska.
Is Lancaster County, Nebraska a healthy place to live?
Lancaster County, Nebraska has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Lancaster County, Nebraska one of the healthiest counties in Nebraska?
Lancaster County ranks 3rd 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.
What is the average lifespan in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
People in Lancaster County, Nebraska can expect to live 79.3 years on average, about the same as the Nebraska average of 79.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
5.9% of residents in Lancaster County, Nebraska have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 1.3 points below the Nebraska rate of 7.2%.
What is the obesity rate in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
31.9% of adults in Lancaster County, Nebraska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.2 points below the Nebraska rate of 36.1%.
What health issue is more common in Lancaster County, Nebraska than elsewhere?
Compared with Nebraska as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 24.3%, about 23% higher than the Nebraska rate of 19.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lancaster County, Nebraska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 389,766 cigarettes a day, 11.7 million a month, or 142.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.3 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 79.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 38 lifetimes a year.
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