Health Profile of Lee County, South Carolina
Lee 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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D
Lee County Well below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.3% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.4% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lee County is 73.3 years, about 2.6 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 10.3%, higher than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 24.4% of residents, higher than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,164 residents in Lee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 232 79 men · 153 women
- 75–84 929 319 men · 609 women
- 65–74 1,641 735 men · 905 women
- 50–64 3,363 1,621 men · 1,742 women
Younger residents
3,045 residents in Lee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 990 523 boys · 467 girls
- 7–12 895 451 boys · 443 girls
- 3–7 666 345 boys · 321 girls
- 0–3 494 259 boys · 235 girls
About 1,354 residents in Lee County (8.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17.7% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 44.6% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Lee County is about 24% higher than in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 24.2% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.9% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 35.2% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Lee County is about 17% higher than in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 31,852 cigarettes a day, 955,569 a month, or 11.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 350,375 minutes a day and 127.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lee County is 73.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.32 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 | Lee County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.61 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lee County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,166 residents against a local median of 62,559. Lee 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, 14% above the local median at 10.3% against 9.0%. Lee County, SC has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, SC | 16,166 | 73.3 yrs #6/6 | 10.3% #4/6 | 44.6% #6/6 |
| Sumter County, SC | 104,715 | 75.3 yrs | 10.5% | 42.0% |
| Darlington County, SC | 62,559 | 73.5 yrs | 9.0% | 42.7% |
| Kershaw County, SC | 68,312 | 75.4 yrs | 8.6% | 40.8% |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 43,782 | 75.4 yrs | 11.6% | 44.0% |
| Clarendon County, SC | 30,986 | 75.4 yrs | 9.0% | 41.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lee County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of D, making it about on par with South Carolina, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Lee County, South Carolina.
What is the health grade for Lee County, South Carolina?
Lee County, South Carolina has a Map AI Health Index grade of D, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a D grade means residents face somewhat worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
Is Lee County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Lee County ranks 42nd 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 Lee County, South Carolina?
People in Lee County, South Carolina can expect to live 73.3 years on average, 2.6 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Lee County, South Carolina?
10.3% of residents in Lee County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 0.6 points above the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
What percentage of Lee County, South Carolina residents are obese?
44.6% of adults in Lee County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 4.7 points above the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
What is the biggest health concern in Lee County, South Carolina?
Compared with South Carolina as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 17.7%, about 24% higher than the South Carolina rate of 14.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lee County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 31,852 cigarettes a day, 955,569 a month, or 11.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 350,375 minutes a day and 127.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lee County is 73.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.32 lifetimes a year.
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