Health Profile of Rhea County, Tennessee
Rhea 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
Rhea County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.9% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rhea County is about the same as in Tennessee, at 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is 12.9%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by about the same share of residents as in Tennessee, at 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
13,007 residents in Rhea County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 480 136 men · 344 women
- 75–84 1,885 853 men · 1,032 women
- 65–74 3,608 1,729 men · 1,879 women
- 50–64 7,034 3,521 men · 3,513 women
Younger residents
7,353 residents in Rhea County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,351 1,267 boys · 1,084 girls
- 7–12 2,080 1,093 boys · 987 girls
- 3–7 1,638 826 boys · 812 girls
- 0–3 1,284 641 boys · 643 girls
About 2,438 residents in Rhea County (7.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.1% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.7% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Rhea County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.5% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.8% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.5% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Rhea County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 68,374 cigarettes a day, 2.1 million a month, or 25.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 752,119 minutes a day and 274.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rhea County is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.98 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 | Rhea County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.69 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rhea County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rhea County, TN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Rhea County, TN is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 33,992 residents against a local median of 54,884. Rhea County, TN's uninsured, at 12.9%, runs 28% above the 10.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.9% on uninsured, so Rhea County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rhea County, TN has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County, TN | 33,992 | 74.8 yrs #4/6 | 12.9% #5/6 | 37.7% #5/6 |
| Meigs County, TN | 13,343 | 72.7 yrs | 10.6% | 37.1% |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 15,032 | 76.6 yrs | 17.3% | 37.2% |
| Cumberland County, TN | 63,553 | 75.7 yrs | 8.4% | 37.0% |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | 74.8 yrs | 9.1% | 35.3% |
| Bradley County, TN | 110,691 | 75.2 yrs | 10.1% | 38.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rhea County, Tennessee has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Tennessee, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Rhea County, Tennessee.
What is the health grade for Rhea County, Tennessee?
Rhea 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 Rhea County, Tennessee one of the healthiest counties in Tennessee?
Rhea County ranks 39th 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 Rhea County, Tennessee?
People in Rhea County, Tennessee can expect to live 74.8 years on average, about the same as the Tennessee average of 74.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Rhea County, Tennessee?
12.9% of residents in Rhea County, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 2.9 points above the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Rhea County, Tennessee?
37.7% of adults in Rhea County, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rhea County, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 68,374 cigarettes a day, 2.1 million a month, or 25.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 752,119 minutes a day and 274.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rhea County is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.98 lifetimes a year.
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