Health Profile of Potter County, Texas
Potter 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
Potter County Below averageLess healthy than 89% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Potter County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 19.3% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.7% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Potter County is 74.8 years, about 3.2 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 19.3%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.7% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
34,143 residents in Potter County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,171 750 men · 1,421 women
- 75–84 4,532 1,843 men · 2,689 women
- 65–74 8,686 4,137 men · 4,549 women
- 50–64 18,754 9,642 men · 9,112 women
Younger residents
30,256 residents in Potter County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 9,234 4,769 boys · 4,465 girls
- 7–12 8,899 4,581 boys · 4,319 girls
- 3–7 6,904 3,504 boys · 3,400 girls
- 0–3 5,218 2,681 boys · 2,537 girls
About 6,884 residents in Potter County (5.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Potter County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.8% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.5% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.3% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.9% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Potter County is about 15% lower than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Potter County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.0% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.6% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.2% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Potter County is about 16% higher than in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 195,872 cigarettes a day, 5.9 million a month, or 71.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.2 million minutes a day and 786.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Potter County is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 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 | Potter County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.49 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Potter County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Potter County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Potter County, TX is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 115,952 residents against a local median of 20,184. Where Potter County, TX breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 65% above the local median of 11.7% at 19.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 39.9% against a local median of 34.3%, 16% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Potter County, TX reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 18.6% on uninsured, so Potter County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Potter County, TX has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter County, TX | 115,952 | 74.8 yrs #5/6 | 19.3% #5/6 | 39.9% #6/6 |
| Randall County, TX | 146,053 | 78.1 yrs | 11.0% | 31.4% |
| Moore County, TX | 21,373 | 78.6 yrs | 22.8% | 37.2% |
| Carson County, TX | 5,801 | 83.8 yrs | 11.7% | 34.3% |
| Armstrong County, TX | 1,822 | 86.2 yrs | 4.2% | 33.6% |
| Hutchinson County, TX | 20,184 | 74.6 yrs | 13.1% | 37.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Potter 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 Potter County, Texas.
How healthy is Potter County, Texas?
Potter 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 Potter County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Potter County ranks 219th 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 Potter County, Texas?
People in Potter County, Texas can expect to live 74.8 years on average, 3.2 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
What percentage of Potter County, Texas residents are uninsured?
19.3% of residents in Potter County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 5 people, 2.2 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Potter County, Texas?
39.9% of adults in Potter County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.3 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Potter County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 195,872 cigarettes a day, 5.9 million a month, or 71.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.2 million minutes a day and 786.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Potter County is 74.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 lifetimes a year.
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