Health Profile of Howard County, Texas
Howard 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
Howard County Below averageLess healthy than 79% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 13.6% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.0% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Howard County is 73.8 years, about 4.2 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 22.0% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,247 residents in Howard County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 513 211 men · 302 women
- 75–84 1,293 550 men · 743 women
- 65–74 2,452 1,242 men · 1,210 women
- 50–64 5,989 3,370 men · 2,619 women
Younger residents
6,797 residents in Howard County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,957 1,055 boys · 901 girls
- 7–12 2,033 1,008 boys · 1,025 girls
- 3–7 1,632 807 boys · 825 girls
- 0–3 1,174 600 boys · 574 girls
About 2,055 residents in Howard County (6.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Howard County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.8% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.2% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Howard County are about the same as in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Howard County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.0% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.8% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.2% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Howard County are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 52,410 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 576,514 minutes a day and 210.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 73.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.43 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 | Howard County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.99 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Howard County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Howard County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Howard County, TX is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 32,290 residents against a local median of 3,343. The measure that sets Howard County, TX apart most is uninsured: 13.6%, 36% below the local median of 21.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.3% on uninsured, so Howard County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Howard County, TX has the lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, TX | 32,290 | 73.8 yrs #5/5 | 13.6% #1/5 | 38.2% #5/5 |
| Glasscock County, TX | 1,068 | 81.2 yrs | 25.1% | 38.2% |
| Mitchell County, TX | 9,018 | 79.1 yrs | 17.5% | 36.4% |
| Martin County, TX | 5,218 | 84.2 yrs | 17.1% | 36.2% |
| Sterling County, TX | 1,468 | 84.0 yrs | 26.4% | 36.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Howard 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 Howard County, Texas.
What is the health grade for Howard County, Texas?
Howard 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 Howard County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Howard County ranks 195th 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 Howard County, Texas?
People in Howard County, Texas can expect to live 73.8 years on average, 4.2 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
What percentage of Howard County, Texas residents are uninsured?
13.6% of residents in Howard County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 3.6 points below the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Howard County, Texas?
38.2% of adults in Howard County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.7 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Howard County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 52,410 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 576,514 minutes a day and 210.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Howard County is 73.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.43 lifetimes a year.
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