Health Profile of Berkeley County, South Carolina
Berkeley 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
Berkeley County Around averageHealthier than 84% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Berkeley County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.3% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.0% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Berkeley County is 77.0 years, about 1.1 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 9.3%, lower than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.0% of residents, lower than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
75,568 residents in Berkeley County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,573 874 men · 1,699 women
- 75–84 8,498 3,909 men · 4,590 women
- 65–74 19,982 9,301 men · 10,681 women
- 50–64 44,515 21,760 men · 22,755 women
Younger residents
57,407 residents in Berkeley County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 16,578 8,213 boys · 8,364 girls
- 7–12 17,148 8,781 boys · 8,367 girls
- 3–7 13,705 7,104 boys · 6,601 girls
- 0–3 9,976 5,098 boys · 4,879 girls
About 8,949 residents in Berkeley County (3.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Berkeley County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.3% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.9% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Berkeley County is about 24% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of diabetes in Berkeley County is about 22% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of cancer in Berkeley County is about 18% lower than in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Berkeley County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.1% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.4% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.8% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Berkeley County is about 21% higher than in South Carolina. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Berkeley County is about 18% lower than in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 360,257 cigarettes a day, 10.8 million a month, or 131.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.0 million minutes a day and 1.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berkeley County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 36 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 | Berkeley County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.79 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Berkeley County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Berkeley County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Berkeley County, SC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 246,888 residents against a local median of 64,818. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Berkeley County, SC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 6% below the local median at 9.3% against 9.8%. Berkeley County, SC has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County, SC | 246,888 | 77.0 yrs #3/6 | 9.3% #3/6 | 37.9% #4/6 |
| Charleston County, SC | 420,867 | 77.6 yrs | 8.3% | 31.3% |
| Dorchester County, SC | 166,443 | 78.0 yrs | 10.2% | 37.2% |
| Williamsburg County, SC | 30,282 | 73.2 yrs | 10.9% | 44.7% |
| Clarendon County, SC | 30,986 | 75.4 yrs | 9.0% | 41.8% |
| Georgetown County, SC | 64,818 | 76.3 yrs | 9.8% | 36.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Berkeley County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than South Carolina, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Berkeley County, South Carolina.
How healthy is Berkeley County, South Carolina?
Berkeley 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 Berkeley County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Berkeley County ranks 8th healthiest out of 46 counties in South Carolina by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Berkeley County, South Carolina?
People in Berkeley County, South Carolina can expect to live 77.0 years on average, 1.1 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Berkeley County, South Carolina?
9.3% of residents in Berkeley County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, about the same as the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Berkeley County, South Carolina?
37.9% of adults in Berkeley County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.0 points below the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
Which health problem stands out most in Berkeley County, South Carolina?
Compared with South Carolina as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 19.4%, about 21% higher than the South Carolina rate of 16.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Berkeley County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 360,257 cigarettes a day, 10.8 million a month, or 131.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.0 million minutes a day and 1.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berkeley County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 36 lifetimes a year.
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