Health Profile of Lancaster County, South Carolina
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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C
Lancaster County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lancaster County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.9% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.2% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lancaster County is 74.9 years, about 0.9 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 7.9%, lower than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.2% of residents, lower than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
39,990 residents in Lancaster County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,951 721 men · 1,229 women
- 75–84 5,908 2,553 men · 3,355 women
- 65–74 11,877 5,432 men · 6,445 women
- 50–64 20,255 9,809 men · 10,447 women
Younger residents
21,581 residents in Lancaster County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,503 3,514 boys · 2,989 girls
- 7–12 6,251 3,041 boys · 3,210 girls
- 3–7 4,983 2,372 boys · 2,610 girls
- 0–3 3,843 1,989 boys · 1,855 girls
About 7,923 residents in Lancaster County (7.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.9 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 | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.3% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.8% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Lancaster County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lancaster County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.7% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.8% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.0% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Lancaster County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 177,594 cigarettes a day, 5.3 million a month, or 64.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 713.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 18 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 | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.84 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 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, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lancaster County, SC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 104,481 residents against a local median of 43,782. Lancaster 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 uninsured, 9% below the local median at 7.9% against 8.6%. Lancaster County, SC has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, SC | 104,481 | 74.9 yrs #5/6 | 7.9% #3/6 | 39.8% #2/6 |
| Union County, NC | 250,888 | 78.3 yrs | 7.7% | 32.3% |
| Kershaw County, SC | 68,312 | 75.4 yrs | 8.6% | 40.8% |
| Chester County, SC | 32,186 | 73.8 yrs | 11.7% | 42.5% |
| Fairfield County, SC | 20,550 | 76.3 yrs | 7.0% | 42.1% |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 43,782 | 75.4 yrs | 11.6% | 44.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lancaster 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 Lancaster County, South Carolina.
How healthy is Lancaster County, South Carolina?
Lancaster 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 Lancaster County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Lancaster County ranks 20th 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 Lancaster County, South Carolina?
People in Lancaster County, South Carolina can expect to live 74.9 years on average, 0.9 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
What percentage of Lancaster County, South Carolina residents are uninsured?
7.9% of residents in Lancaster County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 1.8 points below the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Lancaster County, South Carolina?
39.8% of adults in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 177,594 cigarettes a day, 5.3 million a month, or 64.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 713.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 18 lifetimes a year.
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