Health Profile of Union County, South Carolina
Union 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
Union County Below averageLess healthy than 76% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Union County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.5% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Union County is 73.5 years, about 2.3 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 21.1% of residents, higher than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
11,195 residents in Union County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 578 182 men · 395 women
- 75–84 1,643 640 men · 1,003 women
- 65–74 3,130 1,380 men · 1,751 women
- 50–64 5,844 2,758 men · 3,086 women
Younger residents
5,400 residents in Union County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,611 824 boys · 787 girls
- 7–12 1,657 841 boys · 816 girls
- 3–7 1,272 639 boys · 633 girls
- 0–3 859 423 boys · 437 girls
About 2,633 residents in Union County (9.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Union County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.2% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.4% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.8% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Union County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Union County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.1% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.4% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.2% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Union County are about the same as in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 49,097 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 17.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 540,065 minutes a day and 197.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Union County is 73.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.10 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 | Union County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.81 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Union County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Union County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,885 residents against a local median of 56,649. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Union County, SC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 3% below the local median at 10.5% against 10.7%. Union County, SC has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, SC | 26,885 | 73.5 yrs #6/6 | 10.5% #2/6 | 38.8% #3/6 |
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,649 | 74.2 yrs | 10.5% | 39.8% |
| Newberry County, SC | 38,435 | 77.4 yrs | 8.8% | 41.2% |
| Laurens County, SC | 68,664 | 75.5 yrs | 12.4% | 34.6% |
| Spartanburg County, SC | 347,752 | 76.2 yrs | 10.7% | 37.2% |
| Chester County, SC | 32,186 | 73.8 yrs | 11.7% | 42.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Union County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with South Carolina, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Union County, South Carolina.
What is the health grade for Union County, South Carolina?
Union 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 Union County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Union County ranks 35th 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 Union County, South Carolina?
People in Union County, South Carolina can expect to live 73.5 years on average, 2.3 years shorter than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
What percentage of Union County, South Carolina residents are uninsured?
10.5% of residents in Union County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 0.8 points above the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Union County, South Carolina?
38.8% of adults in Union County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.1 points below the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Union County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 49,097 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 17.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 540,065 minutes a day and 197.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Union County is 73.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.10 lifetimes a year.
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