Health Profile of Harris County, Texas
Harris 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
Harris County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Harris County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 20.9% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.2% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Harris County is 77.9 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 20.9%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.2% of residents, lower than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,282,038 residents in Harris County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 49,997 17,117 men · 32,880 women
- 75–84 135,999 57,157 men · 78,842 women
- 65–74 295,899 137,972 men · 157,927 women
- 50–64 800,142 396,032 men · 404,110 women
Younger residents
1,209,431 residents in Harris County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 370,656 188,825 boys · 181,832 girls
- 7–12 359,751 185,664 boys · 174,087 girls
- 3–7 275,917 142,239 boys · 133,678 girls
- 0–3 203,106 103,376 boys · 99,730 girls
About 138,658 residents in Harris County (2.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Harris County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.2% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.6% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.3% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.9% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Harris County is about 32% lower than in Texas. The rate of cancer in Harris County is about 30% lower than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Harris County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.6% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.0% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.4% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Harris County are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 6.3 million cigarettes a day, 189.5 million a month, or 2.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 69.5 million minutes a day and 25.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Harris County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 1.70 lifetimes a day, or 620 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 | Harris County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 9.38 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 9.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Harris County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Harris County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Harris County, TX is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 4,837,278 residents against a local median of 391,275. Harris County, TX's uninsured, at 20.9%, runs 38% above the 15.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 14.5% on uninsured, so Harris County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Harris County, TX has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County, TX | 4,837,278 | 77.9 yrs #3/6 | 20.9% #5/6 | 37.9% #4/6 |
| Montgomery County, TX | 684,384 | 77.7 yrs | 15.1% | 33.4% |
| Fort Bend County, TX | 893,669 | 80.4 yrs | 11.7% | 33.6% |
| Waller County, TX | 61,552 | 80.1 yrs | 20.1% | 36.2% |
| Liberty County, TX | 103,380 | 76.1 yrs | 26.2% | 39.2% |
| Brazoria County, TX | 391,275 | 77.0 yrs | 12.7% | 41.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Harris 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 Harris County, Texas.
How healthy is Harris County, Texas?
Harris 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 Harris County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Harris County ranks 88th 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 average lifespan in Harris County, Texas?
People in Harris County, Texas can expect to live 77.9 years on average, about the same as the Texas average of 78.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Harris County, Texas?
20.9% of residents in Harris County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 5 people, 3.8 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Harris County, Texas?
37.9% of adults in Harris County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Harris County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 6.3 million cigarettes a day, 189.5 million a month, or 2.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 69.5 million minutes a day and 25.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Harris County is 77.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 1.70 lifetimes a day, or 620 lifetimes a year.
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