Health Profile of Saluda County, South Carolina
Saluda 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
Saluda County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 17.9% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.3% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Saluda County is 78.2 years, about 2.4 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 17.9%, higher than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.3% of residents, higher than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,544 residents in Saluda County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 441 155 men · 286 women
- 75–84 1,133 462 men · 671 women
- 65–74 2,015 1,006 men · 1,010 women
- 50–64 3,955 1,968 men · 1,987 women
Younger residents
4,064 residents in Saluda County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,193 640 boys · 553 girls
- 7–12 1,204 629 boys · 574 girls
- 3–7 959 487 boys · 473 girls
- 0–3 708 370 boys · 338 girls
About 1,151 residents in Saluda County (6.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.7% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.1% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 41.9% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Saluda County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.2% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.9% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.3% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Saluda County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 33,144 cigarettes a day, 994,334 a month, or 12.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 364,589 minutes a day and 133.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Saluda County is 78.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.24 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 | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.25 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Saluda County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Saluda County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Saluda County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,141 residents against a local median of 69,502. Saluda County, SC's uninsured, at 17.9%, runs 104% above the 8.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves sit within 1.6% of each other on uninsured, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Saluda County, SC, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Saluda County, SC has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saluda County, SC | 19,141 | 78.2 yrs #1/6 | 17.9% #6/6 | 41.9% #5/6 |
| Newberry County, SC | 38,435 | 77.4 yrs | 8.8% | 41.2% |
| Edgefield County, SC | 27,456 | 77.1 yrs | 9.0% | 41.3% |
| Greenwood County, SC | 69,502 | 77.9 yrs | 7.4% | 44.1% |
| Lexington County, SC | 304,957 | 77.7 yrs | 8.7% | 37.5% |
| Aiken County, SC | 174,097 | 77.1 yrs | 8.8% | 37.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Saluda 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 Saluda County, South Carolina.
What is the health grade for Saluda County, South Carolina?
Saluda 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 Saluda County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Saluda County ranks 28th 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 Saluda County, South Carolina?
People in Saluda County, South Carolina can expect to live 78.2 years on average, 2.4 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Saluda County, South Carolina?
17.9% of residents in Saluda County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 6 people, 8.2 points above the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Saluda County, South Carolina?
41.9% of adults in Saluda County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.0 points above the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Saluda County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 33,144 cigarettes a day, 994,334 a month, or 12.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 364,589 minutes a day and 133.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Saluda County is 78.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.24 lifetimes a year.
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