Health Profile of Beaufort County, South Carolina
Beaufort 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
Beaufort County Around averageHealthiest county in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.5% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Beaufort County is 80.0 years, about 4.2 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 8.5%, lower than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.1% of residents, lower than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
88,382 residents in Beaufort County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,517 2,016 men · 2,501 women
- 75–84 15,353 7,503 men · 7,850 women
- 65–74 29,699 14,010 men · 15,689 women
- 50–64 38,813 17,626 men · 21,186 women
Younger residents
34,330 residents in Beaufort County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 10,999 5,452 boys · 5,547 girls
- 7–12 9,933 5,092 boys · 4,840 girls
- 3–7 7,541 3,936 boys · 3,606 girls
- 0–3 5,857 2,989 boys · 2,868 girls
About 10,408 residents in Beaufort County (5.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.5% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.4% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.9% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Beaufort County is about 28% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of diabetes in Beaufort County is about 26% lower than in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.5% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.4% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Beaufort County is about 33% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Beaufort County is about 32% lower than in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 233,104 cigarettes a day, 7.0 million a month, or 85.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.6 million minutes a day and 935.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Beaufort County is 80.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 22 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 | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.14 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Beaufort County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Beaufort County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Beaufort County, SC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 195,246 residents against a local median of 38,792. The measure that sets Beaufort County, SC apart most is uninsured: 8.5%, 34% below the local median of 12.9%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 28.9% against a local median of 39.8%, 27% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Beaufort County, SC is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 5.3% on uninsured, so Beaufort County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Beaufort County, SC has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County, SC | 195,246 | 80.0 yrs #1/6 | 8.5% #1/6 | 28.9% #1/6 |
| Jasper County, SC | 32,186 | 75.9 yrs | 14.5% | 40.3% |
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | 73.5 yrs | 15.0% | 39.8% |
| Chatham County, GA | 300,892 | 76.2 yrs | 12.9% | 36.2% |
| Hampton County, SC | 18,254 | 75.7 yrs | 10.1% | 42.1% |
| Effingham County, GA | 69,143 | 76.5 yrs | 9.7% | 37.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Beaufort County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than South Carolina, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Beaufort County, South Carolina.
How healthy is Beaufort County, South Carolina?
Beaufort County, South Carolina 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 Beaufort County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Yes. Beaufort County ranks 1st of 46 counties in South Carolina by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
What is the average lifespan in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
People in Beaufort County, South Carolina can expect to live 80.0 years on average, 4.2 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
What percentage of Beaufort County, South Carolina residents are uninsured?
8.5% of residents in Beaufort County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.2 points below the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
What percentage of Beaufort County, South Carolina residents are obese?
28.9% of adults in Beaufort County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 11.1 points below the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Beaufort County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 233,104 cigarettes a day, 7.0 million a month, or 85.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.6 million minutes a day and 935.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Beaufort County is 80.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 22 lifetimes a year.
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