Health Profile of Houston, Texas
Houston 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
Houston Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Houston | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 23.2% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.4% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Houston is 77.8 years, about 0.2 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 23.2%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.4% of residents, lower than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
674,891 residents in Houston are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 31,490 10,653 men · 20,837 women
- 75–84 78,724 32,860 men · 45,865 women
- 65–74 161,214 74,343 men · 86,871 women
- 50–64 403,463 200,490 men · 202,973 women
Younger residents
582,888 residents in Houston are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 175,854 87,791 boys · 88,063 girls
- 7–12 169,203 84,075 boys · 85,128 girls
- 3–7 134,825 67,851 boys · 66,974 girls
- 0–3 103,006 51,898 boys · 51,108 girls
About 83,885 residents in Houston (3.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Houston | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.9% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.5% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.5% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.7% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Houston is about 31% lower than in Texas. The rate of heart disease in Houston is about 30% lower than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Houston | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.9% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.4% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.6% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Houston are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3.4 million cigarettes a day, 103.3 million a month, or 1.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 37.9 million minutes a day and 13.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.93 lifetimes a day, or 338 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 | Houston | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 9.44 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 9.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Houston is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Houston, 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 Houston, Texas.
Is Houston, Texas a healthy place to live?
Houston, 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.
What is the average lifespan in Houston, Texas?
People in Houston, Texas can expect to live 77.8 years on average, about the same as the Texas average of 78.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Houston, Texas?
23.2% of residents in Houston, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 4 people, 6.0 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Houston, Texas?
38.7% of adults in Houston, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.1 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Houston, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3.4 million cigarettes a day, 103.3 million a month, or 1.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 37.9 million minutes a day and 13.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.93 lifetimes a day, or 338 lifetimes a year.
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