Health Profile of Richland County, South Carolina
Richland 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
Richland County Around averageHealthier than 82% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.7% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Richland County is 77.0 years, about 1.1 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 8.7%, lower than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.1% of residents, lower than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
123,796 residents in Richland County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 5,198 1,547 men · 3,650 women
- 75–84 15,131 6,281 men · 8,849 women
- 65–74 32,068 14,373 men · 17,695 women
- 50–64 71,399 33,231 men · 38,168 women
Younger residents
88,368 residents in Richland County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 28,493 14,624 boys · 13,869 girls
- 7–12 25,913 13,048 boys · 12,865 girls
- 3–7 19,465 9,758 boys · 9,707 girls
- 0–3 14,498 7,415 boys · 7,083 girls
About 16,632 residents in Richland County (3.9% 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 | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.0% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.2% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.0% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Richland County is about 25% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of cancer in Richland County is about 20% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of diabetes in Richland County is about 16% lower than in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.2% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.3% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.6% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Richland County is about 20% lower than in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 569,839 cigarettes a day, 17.1 million a month, or 208.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.3 million minutes a day and 2.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Richland County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 57 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 | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.11 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Richland County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Richland County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Richland County, SC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 422,111 residents against a local median of 68,312. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Richland County, SC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 7% below the local median at 38.0% against 40.8%. Richland County, SC has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County, SC | 422,111 | 77.0 yrs #2/6 | 8.7% #4/6 | 38.0% #2/6 |
| Calhoun County, SC | 14,182 | 75.9 yrs | 8.1% | 40.6% |
| Lexington County, SC | 304,957 | 77.7 yrs | 8.7% | 37.5% |
| Fairfield County, SC | 20,550 | 76.3 yrs | 7.0% | 42.1% |
| Kershaw County, SC | 68,312 | 75.4 yrs | 8.6% | 40.8% |
| Sumter County, SC | 104,715 | 75.3 yrs | 10.5% | 42.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Richland 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 Richland County, South Carolina.
Is Richland County, South Carolina a healthy place to live?
Richland 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 Richland County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Richland County ranks 9th 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 average lifespan in Richland County, South Carolina?
People in Richland 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 Richland County, South Carolina?
8.7% of residents in Richland County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.0 points below the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Richland County, South Carolina?
38.0% of adults in Richland County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.9 points below the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Richland County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 569,839 cigarettes a day, 17.1 million a month, or 208.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.3 million minutes a day and 2.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Richland County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 57 lifetimes a year.
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