Health Profile of Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby 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
Shelby County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Shelby County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 12.0% | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.8% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 74.7 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the Tennessee average of 74.8 years. The uninsured rate is 12.0%, higher than the Tennessee average of 10.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.8% of residents, higher than the Tennessee average of 19.5%.
Population by Age
Older residents
286,101 residents in Shelby County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 13,396 3,657 men · 9,739 women
- 75–84 33,818 13,472 men · 20,346 women
- 65–74 73,581 32,207 men · 41,375 women
- 50–64 165,306 76,440 men · 88,866 women
Younger residents
222,794 residents in Shelby County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 66,494 33,678 boys · 32,817 girls
- 7–12 67,295 34,448 boys · 32,847 girls
- 3–7 51,651 26,239 boys · 25,412 girls
- 0–3 37,354 18,773 boys · 18,581 girls
About 48,907 residents in Shelby County (5.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Shelby County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.3% | 13.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.4% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.5% | 8.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.0% | 37.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Shelby County is about 24% lower than in Tennessee. The rate of heart disease in Shelby County is about 20% lower than in Tennessee.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Shelby County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.1% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.8% | 13.8% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.2% | 28.4% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Shelby County are about the same as in Tennessee.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.5 million cigarettes a day, 45.3 million a month, or 551.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 16.6 million minutes a day and 6.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Shelby County is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.42 lifetimes a day, or 154 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 | Shelby County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.13 | 6.39 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Shelby County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Shelby County, TN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Shelby County, TN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 918,438 residents against a local median of 47,563. Where Shelby County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 44% above the local median of 8.3% at 12.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.7% on uninsured, so Shelby County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Shelby County, TN has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, TN | 918,438 | 74.7 yrs #5/6 | 12.0% #6/6 | 40.0% #4/6 |
| DeSoto County, MS | 191,302 | 76.7 yrs | 8.3% | 38.1% |
| Tipton County, TN | 61,301 | 74.9 yrs | 8.1% | 39.3% |
| Crittenden County, AR | 47,563 | 73.3 yrs | 9.6% | 48.0% |
| Fayette County, TN | 43,762 | 76.1 yrs | 7.4% | 39.6% |
| Tate County, MS | 28,321 | 75.5 yrs | 11.1% | 40.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Shelby 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 Shelby County, Tennessee.
How healthy is Shelby County, Tennessee?
Shelby 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 Shelby County, Tennessee one of the healthiest counties in Tennessee?
Shelby County ranks 51st 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 Shelby County, Tennessee?
People in Shelby County, Tennessee can expect to live 74.7 years on average, about the same as the Tennessee average of 74.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Shelby County, Tennessee?
12.0% of residents in Shelby County, Tennessee have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 2.0 points above the Tennessee rate of 10.0%.
What percentage of Shelby County, Tennessee residents are obese?
40.0% of adults in Shelby County, Tennessee are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.0 points above the Tennessee rate of 37.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Shelby County, Tennessee go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.5 million cigarettes a day, 45.3 million a month, or 551.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 16.6 million minutes a day and 6.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Shelby County is 74.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.42 lifetimes a day, or 154 lifetimes a year.
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