Health Profile of Cherokee County, South Carolina
Cherokee 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.
-
C
Cherokee County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Cherokee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.5% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Cherokee County is 74.2 years, about 1.7 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 10.5%, higher than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.1% of residents, higher than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
20,283 residents in Cherokee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 821 240 men · 580 women
- 75–84 2,776 1,195 men · 1,581 women
- 65–74 5,575 2,659 men · 2,916 women
- 50–64 11,111 5,377 men · 5,734 women
Younger residents
12,332 residents in Cherokee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,694 1,876 boys · 1,818 girls
- 7–12 3,759 2,008 boys · 1,750 girls
- 3–7 2,885 1,515 boys · 1,371 girls
- 0–3 1,995 983 boys · 1,012 girls
About 4,024 residents in Cherokee County (7.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Cherokee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.8% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Cherokee County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Cherokee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.7% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.9% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.2% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Cherokee County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 103,847 cigarettes a day, 3.1 million a month, or 37.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 416.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cherokee County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 11 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 | Cherokee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.19 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Cherokee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Cherokee County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, SC is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 56,649 residents against a local median of 100,962. Cherokee County, SC 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, 7% above the local median at 39.8% against 37.2%. Cherokee County, SC has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,649 | 74.2 yrs #5/6 | 10.5% #4/6 | 39.8% #6/6 |
| Cleveland County, NC | 100,962 | 74.6 yrs | 9.3% | 37.8% |
| Union County, SC | 26,885 | 73.5 yrs | 10.5% | 38.8% |
| Spartanburg County, SC | 347,752 | 76.2 yrs | 10.7% | 37.2% |
| York County, SC | 293,716 | 77.2 yrs | 7.6% | 37.0% |
| Rutherford County, NC | 64,922 | 74.9 yrs | 12.0% | 33.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cherokee County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than South Carolina, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Cherokee County, South Carolina.
What is the health grade for Cherokee County, South Carolina?
Cherokee County, South Carolina 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 Cherokee County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Cherokee County ranks 25th 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.
What is the life expectancy in Cherokee County, South Carolina?
People in Cherokee County, South Carolina can expect to live 74.2 years on average, 1.7 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Cherokee County, South Carolina?
10.5% of residents in Cherokee County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 0.9 points above the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Cherokee County, South Carolina?
39.8% of adults in Cherokee County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Cherokee County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 103,847 cigarettes a day, 3.1 million a month, or 37.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 416.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cherokee County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 11 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →