Health Profile of Hays County, Texas
Hays 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
Hays County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Hays County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.6% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.6% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Hays County is 78.9 years, about 0.9 years longer than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 11.6%, lower than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.6% of residents, lower than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
70,001 residents in Hays County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,321 813 men · 1,508 women
- 75–84 7,584 3,353 men · 4,231 women
- 65–74 17,659 8,384 men · 9,275 women
- 50–64 42,438 20,831 men · 21,607 women
Younger residents
59,476 residents in Hays County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 17,523 9,135 boys · 8,389 girls
- 7–12 17,917 9,081 boys · 8,836 girls
- 3–7 13,968 7,026 boys · 6,942 girls
- 0–3 10,067 5,130 boys · 4,937 girls
About 6,278 residents in Hays County (2.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Hays County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.1% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.8% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.7% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 29.8% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Hays County is about 40% lower than in Texas. The rate of diabetes in Hays County is about 35% lower than in Texas. The rate of cancer in Hays County is about 27% lower than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Hays County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.3% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.9% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.9% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Hays County is about 28% lower than in Texas. The rate of smoking in Hays County is about 24% lower than in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 317,924 cigarettes a day, 9.5 million a month, or 116.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.5 million minutes a day and 1.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Hays County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 31 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 | Hays County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.90 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Hays County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Hays County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Hays County, TX is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 268,638 residents against a local median of 183,641. Hays County, TX's obesity, at 29.8%, runs 16% below the 35.4% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.5% on obesity, so Hays County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hays County, TX has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County, TX | 268,638 | 78.9 yrs #4/6 | 11.6% #3/6 | 29.8% #2/6 |
| Comal County, TX | 183,826 | 79.1 yrs | 10.5% | 35.0% |
| Travis County, TX | 1,315,315 | 79.8 yrs | 12.0% | 28.9% |
| Blanco County, TX | 12,446 | 78.2 yrs | 14.7% | 35.4% |
| Caldwell County, TX | 48,669 | 77.9 yrs | 21.4% | 38.2% |
| Guadalupe County, TX | 183,641 | 79.1 yrs | 11.0% | 38.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Hays County, Texas has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than Texas, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Hays County, Texas.
How healthy is Hays County, Texas?
Hays County, Texas 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 Hays County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Hays County ranks 8th 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.
How long do people live in Hays County, Texas?
People in Hays County, Texas can expect to live 78.9 years on average, 0.9 years longer than the Texas average of 78.0.
What percentage of Hays County, Texas residents are uninsured?
11.6% of residents in Hays County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 5.5 points below the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What percentage of Hays County, Texas residents are obese?
29.8% of adults in Hays County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 7.8 points below the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Hays County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 317,924 cigarettes a day, 9.5 million a month, or 116.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.5 million minutes a day and 1.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Hays County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 31 lifetimes a year.
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