Health Profile of Carter County, Tennessee
Carter 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
Carter County Below averageLess healthy than 74% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.7% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Carter County is 75.0 years, about 0.2 years longer than the Tennessee average of 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is 11.7%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.3% of residents, higher than the Tennessee average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
24,420 residents in Carter County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,119 431 men · 687 women
- 75–84 3,811 1,692 men · 2,119 women
- 65–74 6,961 3,307 men · 3,655 women
- 50–64 12,530 6,424 men · 6,106 women
Younger residents
9,702 residents in Carter County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,346 1,772 boys · 1,574 girls
- 7–12 2,865 1,495 boys · 1,370 girls
- 3–7 2,039 1,050 boys · 989 girls
- 0–3 1,453 744 boys · 709 girls
About 4,916 residents in Carter County (8.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.3% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.3% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.9% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.3% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Carter County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.4% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.7% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.6% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Carter County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 123,386 cigarettes a day, 3.7 million a month, or 45.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.4 million minutes a day and 495.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Carter County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 13 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 | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.48 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Carter County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Carter County, TN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Carter County, TN is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 56,703 residents against a local median of 17,934. Where Carter County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is obesity, sitting 16% above the local median of 34.0% at 39.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.6% on obesity, so Carter County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carter County, TN has the 5th lowest obesity of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County, TN | 56,703 | 75.0 yrs #4/5 | 11.7% #3/5 | 39.3% #5/5 |
| Mitchell County, NC | 14,959 | 77.4 yrs | 9.3% | 31.3% |
| Sullivan County, TN | 160,624 | 75.4 yrs | 8.9% | 34.5% |
| Avery County, NC | 17,672 | 79.2 yrs | 12.5% | 33.4% |
| Johnson County, TN | 18,196 | 73.7 yrs | 13.4% | 37.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Carter County, Tennessee has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Tennessee, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Carter County, Tennessee.
How healthy is Carter County, Tennessee?
Carter County, Tennessee 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 Carter County, Tennessee one of the healthiest counties in Tennessee?
Carter County ranks 71st healthiest out of 95 counties in Tennessee by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Carter County, Tennessee?
People in Carter County, Tennessee can expect to live 75.0 years on average, about the same as the Tennessee average of 74.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Carter County, Tennessee?
11.7% of residents in Carter County, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 1.6 points above the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
How common is obesity in Carter County, Tennessee?
39.3% of adults in Carter County, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.3 points above the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Carter County, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 123,386 cigarettes a day, 3.7 million a month, or 45.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.4 million minutes a day and 495.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Carter County is 75.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 13 lifetimes a year.
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