Health Profile of Rutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford 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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B
Rutherford County Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.0% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.6% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rutherford County is 77.4 years, about 2.5 years longer than the Tennessee average of 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is about the same as in Tennessee, at 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.6% of residents, lower than the Tennessee average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
93,653 residents in Rutherford County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,445 1,173 men · 2,272 women
- 75–84 9,693 4,084 men · 5,609 women
- 65–74 21,479 9,983 men · 11,496 women
- 50–64 59,036 28,709 men · 30,327 women
Younger residents
85,081 residents in Rutherford County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 25,873 13,183 boys · 12,690 girls
- 7–12 25,247 12,963 boys · 12,285 girls
- 3–7 19,490 10,020 boys · 9,470 girls
- 0–3 14,471 7,396 boys · 7,075 girls
About 10,247 residents in Rutherford County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.5% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.1% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.0% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.6% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Rutherford County is about 39% lower than in Tennessee. The rate of diabetes in Rutherford County is about 30% lower than in Tennessee. The rate of cancer in Rutherford County is about 27% lower than in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.3% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.6% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Rutherford County is about 24% lower than in Tennessee. The rate of smoking in Rutherford County is about 23% lower than in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 518,090 cigarettes a day, 15.5 million a month, or 189.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.7 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rutherford County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 51 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 | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.85 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rutherford County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rutherford County, TN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Rutherford County, TN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 357,384 residents against a local median of 59,710. Rutherford County, TN's uninsured, at 10.0%, runs 19% above the 8.5% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 10.1% on uninsured, so Rutherford County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rutherford County, TN has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, TN | 357,384 | 77.4 yrs #2/6 | 10.0% #4/6 | 38.6% #6/6 |
| Bedford County, TN | 52,237 | 76.3 yrs | 14.6% | 37.4% |
| Wilson County, TN | 157,828 | 76.9 yrs | 7.1% | 33.6% |
| Cannon County, TN | 14,818 | 74.8 yrs | 8.5% | 35.6% |
| Williamson County, TN | 260,351 | 81.2 yrs | 4.4% | 29.6% |
| Coffee County, TN | 59,710 | 74.4 yrs | 10.4% | 38.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rutherford County, Tennessee has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Tennessee, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Rutherford County, Tennessee.
What is the health grade for Rutherford County, Tennessee?
Rutherford County, Tennessee has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Rutherford County, Tennessee one of the healthiest counties in Tennessee?
Rutherford County ranks 2nd 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.
What is the average lifespan in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
People in Rutherford County, Tennessee can expect to live 77.4 years on average, 2.5 years longer than the Tennessee average of 74.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
10.0% of residents in Rutherford County, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, about the same as the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
38.6% of adults in Rutherford County, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.6 points above the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rutherford County, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 518,090 cigarettes a day, 15.5 million a month, or 189.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.7 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rutherford County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 51 lifetimes a year.
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