Health Profile of Cherokee County, Texas
Cherokee 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
Cherokee County Below averageLess healthy than 88% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Cherokee County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 19.9% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.4% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Cherokee County is 76.4 years, about 1.5 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 19.9%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 24.4% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
17,969 residents in Cherokee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 929 340 men · 589 women
- 75–84 2,700 1,208 men · 1,491 women
- 65–74 5,154 2,494 men · 2,660 women
- 50–64 9,186 4,494 men · 4,692 women
Younger residents
12,408 residents in Cherokee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,803 1,939 boys · 1,864 girls
- 7–12 3,649 1,888 boys · 1,761 girls
- 3–7 2,835 1,426 boys · 1,409 girls
- 0–3 2,121 1,058 boys · 1,063 girls
About 3,164 residents in Cherokee County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Cherokee County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.7% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.3% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Cherokee County are about the same as in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Cherokee County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.4% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.7% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.5% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Cherokee County is about 17% higher than in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 90,872 cigarettes a day, 2.7 million a month, or 33.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 999,594 minutes a day and 364.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cherokee County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 9.08 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 | Cherokee County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.72 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Cherokee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Cherokee County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, TX is typical in size for this group, 51,885 residents against a local median of 58,439, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Cherokee County, TX's uninsured, at 19.9%, runs 29% above the 15.4% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 7.0% on uninsured, so Cherokee County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cherokee County, TX has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, TX | 51,885 | 76.4 yrs #4/6 | 19.9% #6/6 | 42.3% #6/6 |
| Rusk County, TX | 52,842 | 76.2 yrs | 13.7% | 39.2% |
| Anderson County, TX | 58,439 | 77.5 yrs | 18.5% | 39.4% |
| Smith County, TX | 241,737 | 77.3 yrs | 16.9% | 38.8% |
| Houston County, TX | 22,051 | 77.2 yrs | 11.5% | 42.0% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 65,162 | 75.9 yrs | 15.4% | 37.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cherokee County, Texas has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Texas, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Cherokee County, Texas.
What is the health grade for Cherokee County, Texas?
Cherokee County, Texas 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 Cherokee County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Cherokee County ranks 217th healthiest out of 247 counties in Texas by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Cherokee County, Texas?
People in Cherokee County, Texas can expect to live 76.4 years on average, 1.5 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Cherokee County, Texas?
19.9% of residents in Cherokee County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 5 people, 2.8 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
How common is obesity in Cherokee County, Texas?
42.3% of adults in Cherokee County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 4.8 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Cherokee County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 90,872 cigarettes a day, 2.7 million a month, or 33.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 999,594 minutes a day and 364.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cherokee County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 9.08 lifetimes a year.
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