Health Profile of Starr County, Texas
Starr 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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F
Starr County Well below averageLeast healthy county in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 28.9% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 34.2% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Starr County is 77.4 years, about 0.6 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 28.9%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 34.2% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
16,157 residents in Starr County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 884 313 men · 570 women
- 75–84 2,111 893 men · 1,218 women
- 65–74 4,083 1,862 men · 2,221 women
- 50–64 9,079 3,996 men · 5,083 women
Younger residents
21,032 residents in Starr County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,176 3,023 boys · 3,153 girls
- 7–12 6,194 3,235 boys · 2,959 girls
- 3–7 4,907 2,625 boys · 2,282 girls
- 0–3 3,755 1,952 boys · 1,802 girls
About 2,389 residents in Starr County (3.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 19.3% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.1% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.7% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 43.7% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Starr County is about 39% higher than in Texas. The rate of cancer in Starr County is about 37% lower than in Texas. The rate of obesity in Starr County is about 16% higher than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.8% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.6% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 43.0% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Starr County is about 47% higher than in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 97,382 cigarettes a day, 2.9 million a month, or 35.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 391.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Starr County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.61 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 | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.49 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Starr County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Starr County, TX Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Starr County, TX is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 66,056 residents against a local median of 9,742. Starr 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, 5% above the local median at 28.9% against 27.6%. Starr County, TX has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starr County, TX | 66,056 | 77.4 yrs #4/6 | 28.9% #5/6 | 43.7% #5/6 |
| Jim Hogg County, TX | 4,727 | 76.1 yrs | 29.0% | 43.1% |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 891,846 | 80.3 yrs | 28.2% | 41.8% |
| Zapata County, TX | 13,841 | 78.8 yrs | 27.6% | 42.5% |
| Brooks County, TX | 6,943 | 76.5 yrs | 21.4% | 45.5% |
| Duval County, TX | 9,742 | 81.7 yrs | 22.2% | 42.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Starr County, Texas has an overall health index grade of F, making it somewhat worse than Texas, and worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Starr County, Texas.
What is the health grade for Starr County, Texas?
Starr County, Texas has a Map AI Health Index grade of F, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an F grade means residents face significantly worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
Is Starr County, Texas one of the healthiest counties in Texas?
No. Starr County ranks last 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 Starr County, Texas?
People in Starr County, Texas can expect to live 77.4 years on average, 0.6 years shorter than the Texas average of 78.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Starr County, Texas?
28.9% of residents in Starr County, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 3 people, 11.8 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What percentage of Starr County, Texas residents are obese?
43.7% of adults in Starr County, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 6.2 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
What is the biggest health concern in Starr County, Texas?
Compared with Texas as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 43.0%, about 47% higher than the Texas rate of 29.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Starr County, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 97,382 cigarettes a day, 2.9 million a month, or 35.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 391.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Starr County is 77.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.61 lifetimes a year.
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