Health Profile of Nueces County, Texas
Nueces 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
Nueces County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Nueces County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 17.6% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.2% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Nueces County is 77.3 years, about 0.7 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 17.6%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.2% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
113,485 residents in Nueces County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 6,230 2,095 men · 4,134 women
- 75–84 15,267 6,429 men · 8,838 women
- 65–74 30,203 14,192 men · 16,011 women
- 50–64 61,785 30,334 men · 31,451 women
Younger residents
79,574 residents in Nueces County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 24,119 12,229 boys · 11,890 girls
- 7–12 23,768 12,258 boys · 11,510 girls
- 3–7 18,423 9,634 boys · 8,789 girls
- 0–3 13,263 6,794 boys · 6,469 girls
About 16,958 residents in Nueces County (4.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Nueces County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.0% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.1% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.5% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.6% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Nueces County is about 22% lower than in Texas. The rate of heart disease in Nueces County is about 16% lower than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Nueces County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.8% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.9% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.3% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Nueces County are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 503,935 cigarettes a day, 15.1 million a month, or 183.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.5 million minutes a day and 2.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nueces County is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 50 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 | Nueces County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.56 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Nueces County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Nueces County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Nueces County, TX is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 351,782 residents against a local median of 30,579. Nueces County, TX sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 9% above the local median at 17.6% against 16.2%. Nueces County, TX has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nueces County, TX | 351,782 | 77.3 yrs #2/6 | 17.6% #4/6 | 39.6% #4/6 |
| San Patricio County, TX | 69,985 | 77.1 yrs | 18.7% | 43.3% |
| Kleberg County, TX | 30,579 | 77.4 yrs | 16.2% | 37.3% |
| Jim Wells County, TX | 38,850 | 76.6 yrs | 20.9% | 40.0% |
| Aransas County, TX | 24,876 | 76.3 yrs | 12.8% | 34.5% |
| Refugio County, TX | 6,707 | 76.8 yrs | 16.1% | 39.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Nueces County, 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 Nueces County, Texas.
What is the health grade for Nueces County, Texas?
Nueces 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 Nueces County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Nueces County ranks 134th 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 Nueces County, Texas?
People in Nueces County, Texas can expect to live 77.3 years on average, 0.7 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
What percentage of Nueces County, Texas residents are uninsured?
17.6% of residents in Nueces County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 6 people, about the same as the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Nueces County, Texas?
39.6% of adults in Nueces County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.1 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Nueces County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 503,935 cigarettes a day, 15.1 million a month, or 183.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.5 million minutes a day and 2.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nueces County is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 50 lifetimes a year.
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