Health Profile of Houston County, Texas
Houston 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
Houston County Below averageLess healthy than 89% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Houston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.5% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 26.0% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Houston County is 77.2 years, about 0.8 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 11.5%, lower than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 26.0% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
9,131 residents in Houston County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 585 224 men · 361 women
- 75–84 1,542 721 men · 821 women
- 65–74 2,552 1,173 men · 1,379 women
- 50–64 4,451 2,378 men · 2,073 women
Younger residents
4,175 residents in Houston County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,309 697 boys · 611 girls
- 7–12 1,261 646 boys · 615 girls
- 3–7 944 475 boys · 469 girls
- 0–3 660 356 boys · 304 girls
About 1,755 residents in Houston County (8.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Houston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17.2% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.9% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.0% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Houston County is about 28% higher than in Texas. The rate of diabetes in Houston County is about 24% higher than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Houston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 24.2% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.5% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Houston County is about 21% higher than in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 42,499 cigarettes a day, 1.3 million a month, or 15.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 467,490 minutes a day and 170.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.21 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 County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.59 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Houston County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Houston County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Houston County, TX is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 22,051 residents against a local median of 51,885. Where Houston County, TX breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 33% below the local median of 17.2% at 11.5%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.6% on uninsured, so Houston County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Houston County, TX has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County, TX | 22,051 | 77.2 yrs #4/6 | 11.5% #1/6 | 42.0% #5/6 |
| Trinity County, TX | 14,046 | 77.1 yrs | 16.0% | 41.5% |
| Anderson County, TX | 58,439 | 77.5 yrs | 18.5% | 39.4% |
| Leon County, TX | 16,263 | 81.9 yrs | 17.2% | 38.2% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 51,885 | 76.4 yrs | 19.9% | 42.3% |
| Walker County, TX | 80,209 | 77.4 yrs | 15.4% | 39.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Houston 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 Houston County, Texas.
Is Houston County, Texas a healthy place to live?
Houston 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 Houston County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Houston County ranks 220th 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 Houston County, Texas?
People in Houston County, Texas can expect to live 77.2 years on average, 0.8 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
What percentage of Houston County, Texas residents are uninsured?
11.5% of residents in Houston County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 5.6 points below the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What percentage of Houston County, Texas residents are obese?
42.0% of adults in Houston County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 4.4 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
What is the biggest health concern in Houston County, Texas?
Compared with Texas as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 9.9%, about 28% higher than the Texas rate of 7.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Houston County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 42,499 cigarettes a day, 1.3 million a month, or 15.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 467,490 minutes a day and 170.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houston County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.21 lifetimes a year.
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