Health Profile of Rusk County, Texas
Rusk 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
Rusk County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rusk County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 13.7% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.1% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rusk County is 76.2 years, about 1.8 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 13.7%, lower than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.1% of residents, lower than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
18,608 residents in Rusk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,144 454 men · 690 women
- 75–84 2,393 1,083 men · 1,310 women
- 65–74 5,099 2,523 men · 2,577 women
- 50–64 9,972 5,111 men · 4,861 women
Younger residents
11,338 residents in Rusk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,723 1,947 boys · 1,776 girls
- 7–12 3,378 1,726 boys · 1,651 girls
- 3–7 2,455 1,239 boys · 1,217 girls
- 0–3 1,782 919 boys · 863 girls
About 3,197 residents in Rusk County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rusk County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.0% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.2% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Rusk County are about the same as in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rusk County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.2% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.9% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.8% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Rusk County are about the same as in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 90,730 cigarettes a day, 2.7 million a month, or 33.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 998,033 minutes a day and 364.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rusk County is 76.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 9.09 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 | Rusk County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.19 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rusk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rusk County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Rusk County, TX is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 52,842 residents against a local median of 65,162. Where Rusk County, TX breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 19% below the local median of 16.9% at 13.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.5% on uninsured, so Rusk County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rusk County, TX has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusk County, TX | 52,842 | 76.2 yrs #4/6 | 13.7% #1/6 | 39.2% #5/6 |
| Gregg County, TX | 125,481 | 75.5 yrs | 16.5% | 38.1% |
| Panola County, TX | 22,726 | 76.3 yrs | 17.0% | 37.6% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 51,885 | 76.4 yrs | 19.9% | 42.3% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 65,162 | 75.9 yrs | 15.4% | 37.8% |
| Smith County, TX | 241,737 | 77.3 yrs | 16.9% | 38.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rusk 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 Rusk County, Texas.
What is the health grade for Rusk County, Texas?
Rusk 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 Rusk County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
Rusk County ranks 158th 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 Rusk County, Texas?
People in Rusk County, Texas can expect to live 76.2 years on average, 1.8 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
What is the uninsured rate in Rusk County, Texas?
13.7% of residents in Rusk County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 3.4 points below the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What percentage of Rusk County, Texas residents are obese?
39.2% of adults in Rusk County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rusk County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 90,730 cigarettes a day, 2.7 million a month, or 33.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 998,033 minutes a day and 364.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rusk County is 76.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 9.09 lifetimes a year.
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