Health Profile of Polk County, Tennessee
Polk 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
Polk County Below averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 14.9% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.1% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Polk County is 74.2 years, about 0.6 years shorter than the Tennessee average of 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is 14.9%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.1% of residents, higher than the Tennessee average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,804 residents in Polk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 290 78 men · 212 women
- 75–84 1,124 555 men · 569 women
- 65–74 2,172 1,070 men · 1,102 women
- 50–64 4,219 2,155 men · 2,064 women
Younger residents
3,318 residents in Polk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,129 576 boys · 553 girls
- 7–12 962 479 boys · 484 girls
- 3–7 694 361 boys · 333 girls
- 0–3 533 282 boys · 250 girls
About 1,572 residents in Polk County (8.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.5% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.5% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.9% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.8% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Polk County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.3% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.7% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.8% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Polk County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 38,214 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 420,351 minutes a day and 153.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.93 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 | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.35 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Polk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Polk County, TN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, TN is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 17,897 residents against a local median of 47,695. Polk County, TN's uninsured, at 14.9%, runs 28% above the 11.7% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.3% on uninsured, so Polk County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, TN has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, TN | 17,897 | 74.2 yrs #6/6 | 14.9% #6/6 | 39.8% #6/6 |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | 74.8 yrs | 9.1% | 35.3% |
| Fannin County, GA | 25,731 | 75.8 yrs | 14.4% | 30.4% |
| Bradley County, TN | 110,691 | 75.2 yrs | 10.1% | 38.8% |
| Murray County, GA | 40,562 | 74.7 yrs | 13.8% | 37.8% |
| Monroe County, TN | 47,695 | 75.1 yrs | 11.7% | 36.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Polk 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 Polk County, Tennessee.
How healthy is Polk County, Tennessee?
Polk 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 Polk County, Tennessee one of the healthiest counties in Tennessee?
Polk County ranks 69th 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 Polk County, Tennessee?
People in Polk County, Tennessee can expect to live 74.2 years on average, 0.6 years shorter than the Tennessee average of 74.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Polk County, Tennessee?
14.9% of residents in Polk County, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 4.9 points above the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
What percentage of Polk County, Tennessee residents are obese?
39.8% of adults in Polk County, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.9 points above the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Polk County, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 38,214 cigarettes a day, 1.1 million a month, or 13.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 420,351 minutes a day and 153.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Polk County is 74.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.93 lifetimes a year.
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