Health Profile of Sierra County, New Mexico
Sierra 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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C
Sierra County Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in New Mexico
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.1% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.1% | 17.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Sierra County is 75.5 years, about 3.1 years shorter than the New Mexico average of 78.6 years. The uninsured rate is 4.1%, lower than the New Mexico average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.1% of residents, higher than the New Mexico average of 17.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,492 residents in Sierra County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 546 198 men · 347 women
- 75–84 1,244 656 men · 588 women
- 65–74 2,196 1,150 men · 1,046 women
- 50–64 2,506 1,199 men · 1,307 women
Younger residents
1,731 residents in Sierra County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 552 253 boys · 299 girls
- 7–12 518 249 boys · 269 girls
- 3–7 389 201 boys · 188 girls
- 0–3 272 149 boys · 123 girls
About 1,718 residents in Sierra County (14.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 16.7% | 13.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.4% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 11.2% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.6% | 31.4% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Sierra County is about 51% higher than in New Mexico. The rate of cancer in Sierra County is about 47% higher than in New Mexico. The rate of diabetes in Sierra County is about 24% higher than in New Mexico.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.3% | 18.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 10.5% | 13.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.8% | 24.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Sierra County is about 20% lower than in New Mexico.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 17,737 cigarettes a day, 532,108 a month, or 6.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 195,106 minutes a day and 71.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Sierra County is 75.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.79 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 | Sierra County | New Mexico Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.33 | 4.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Sierra County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Sierra County, NM Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Sierra County, NM is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 11,501 residents against a local median of 25,611. Sierra County, NM's uninsured, at 4.1%, runs 56% below the 9.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.1% on uninsured, so Sierra County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Sierra County, NM has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County, NM | 11,501 | 75.5 yrs #6/6 | 4.1% #1/6 | 34.6% #6/6 |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 224,261 | 79.5 yrs | 11.3% | 30.9% |
| Socorro County, NM | 16,198 | 77.4 yrs | 9.4% | 32.8% |
| Luna County, NM | 25,611 | 76.8 yrs | 9.3% | 33.3% |
| Grant County, NM | 27,774 | 80.3 yrs | 5.2% | 28.1% |
| Catron County, NM | 3,743 | 78.7 yrs | 6.3% | 28.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Sierra County, New Mexico has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with New Mexico, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Sierra County, New Mexico.
How healthy is Sierra County, New Mexico?
Sierra County, New Mexico has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Sierra County, New Mexico one of the healthiest counties in New Mexico?
Sierra County ranks 29th healthiest out of 32 counties in New Mexico by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Sierra County, New Mexico?
People in Sierra County, New Mexico can expect to live 75.5 years on average, 3.1 years shorter than the New Mexico average of 78.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Sierra County, New Mexico?
4.1% of residents in Sierra County, New Mexico have no health insurance, about 1 in 24 people, 5.5 points below the New Mexico rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Sierra County, New Mexico?
34.6% of adults in Sierra County, New Mexico are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.1 points above the New Mexico rate of 31.4%.
What is the biggest health concern in Sierra County, New Mexico?
Compared with New Mexico as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 11.2%, about 51% higher than the New Mexico rate of 7.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Sierra County, New Mexico go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 17,737 cigarettes a day, 532,108 a month, or 6.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 195,106 minutes a day and 71.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Sierra County is 75.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.79 lifetimes a year.
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