Health Profile of Galveston County, Texas
Galveston 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
Galveston County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Galveston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 13.6% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.0% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Galveston County is 76.4 years, about 1.6 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 13.6%, lower than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.0% of residents, lower than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
117,150 residents in Galveston County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 5,071 1,842 men · 3,230 women
- 75–84 14,069 6,013 men · 8,057 women
- 65–74 29,370 14,064 men · 15,306 women
- 50–64 68,640 33,165 men · 35,475 women
Younger residents
83,494 residents in Galveston County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 26,199 13,221 boys · 12,978 girls
- 7–12 25,433 13,063 boys · 12,370 girls
- 3–7 18,753 9,693 boys · 9,059 girls
- 0–3 13,109 6,673 boys · 6,436 girls
About 16,920 residents in Galveston County (4.7% 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 | Galveston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.2% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Galveston County are about the same as in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Galveston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.0% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.1% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.7% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Galveston County are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 521,954 cigarettes a day, 15.7 million a month, or 190.5 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 Galveston County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 52 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 | Galveston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.99 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Galveston County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Galveston County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Galveston County, TX is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 358,877 residents against a local median of 253,852. The measure that sets Galveston County, TX apart most is uninsured: 13.6%, 34% below the local median of 20.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 13.4% on uninsured, so Galveston County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Galveston County, TX has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galveston County, TX | 358,877 | 76.4 yrs #4/6 | 13.6% #2/6 | 38.2% #3/6 |
| Chambers County, TX | 51,498 | 77.9 yrs | 15.9% | 37.1% |
| Brazoria County, TX | 391,275 | 77.0 yrs | 12.7% | 41.0% |
| Harris County, TX | 4,837,278 | 77.9 yrs | 20.9% | 37.9% |
| Liberty County, TX | 103,380 | 76.1 yrs | 26.2% | 39.2% |
| Jefferson County, TX | 253,852 | 74.9 yrs | 20.6% | 40.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Galveston County, Texas has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Texas, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Galveston County, Texas.
How healthy is Galveston County, Texas?
Galveston 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 Galveston County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Galveston County ranks 84th 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 Galveston County, Texas?
People in Galveston County, Texas can expect to live 76.4 years on average, 1.6 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
What percentage of Galveston County, Texas residents are uninsured?
13.6% of residents in Galveston County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 3.5 points below the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Galveston County, Texas?
38.2% of adults in Galveston County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.6 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Galveston County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 521,954 cigarettes a day, 15.7 million a month, or 190.5 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 Galveston County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 52 lifetimes a year.
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