Health Profile of Jefferson County, Texas
Jefferson 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
Jefferson County Below averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Jefferson County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 20.6% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.3% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Jefferson County is 74.9 years, about 3.1 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 20.6%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.3% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
82,213 residents in Jefferson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,604 1,329 men · 3,275 women
- 75–84 11,125 4,937 men · 6,188 women
- 65–74 21,053 9,793 men · 11,260 women
- 50–64 45,430 23,150 men · 22,281 women
Younger residents
59,872 residents in Jefferson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 18,055 9,261 boys · 8,794 girls
- 7–12 17,912 9,133 boys · 8,778 girls
- 3–7 13,788 7,075 boys · 6,713 girls
- 0–3 10,117 5,238 boys · 4,879 girls
About 15,894 residents in Jefferson County (6.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Jefferson County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.8% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.6% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.0% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.5% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Jefferson County are about the same as in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Jefferson County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.6% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.1% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.0% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Jefferson County are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 412,586 cigarettes a day, 12.4 million a month, or 150.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.5 million minutes a day and 1.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.12 lifetimes a day, or 42 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 | Jefferson County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.86 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Jefferson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Jefferson County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Jefferson County, TX is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 253,852 residents against a local median of 85,306. Where Jefferson County, TX breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 29% above the local median of 15.9% at 20.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 12.5% on uninsured, so Jefferson County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jefferson County, TX has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, TX | 253,852 | 74.9 yrs #5/6 | 20.6% #5/6 | 40.5% #6/6 |
| Orange County, TX | 85,306 | 74.5 yrs | 14.9% | 36.3% |
| Hardin County, TX | 57,642 | 76.2 yrs | 15.9% | 37.5% |
| Chambers County, TX | 51,498 | 77.9 yrs | 15.9% | 37.1% |
| Liberty County, TX | 103,380 | 76.1 yrs | 26.2% | 39.2% |
| Galveston County, TX | 358,877 | 76.4 yrs | 13.6% | 38.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Texas.
What is the health grade for Jefferson County, Texas?
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Jefferson County ranks 199th 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 Jefferson County, Texas?
People in Jefferson County, Texas can expect to live 74.9 years on average, 3.1 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Jefferson County, Texas?
20.6% of residents in Jefferson County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 5 people, 3.4 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
How common is obesity in Jefferson County, Texas?
40.5% of adults in Jefferson County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 2.9 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Jefferson County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 412,586 cigarettes a day, 12.4 million a month, or 150.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.5 million minutes a day and 1.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Jefferson County is 74.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.12 lifetimes a day, or 42 lifetimes a year.
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