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County Health Disparity Index

Health outcomes in the US vary enormously by geography. Life expectancy differs by over 40 years between the healthiest and unhealthiest counties. Premature death, provider shortages, and lack of insurance all concentrate in the same places. This dashboard maps those disparities using County Health Rankings 2024 data so grant professionals can identify where communities need help most.

National Average Life Expectancy

Average life expectancy across all US counties.

75.8
8 hours ago

National Average Uninsured Rate

The share of the population without health insurance, averaged across all US counties.

11.5
%
8 hours ago

Average Drug Overdose Death Rate

Drug overdose mortality rate per 100,000 population, averaged across all reporting counties.

29
8 hours ago

Premature Death Rate by State

Average years of potential life lost per 100,000 population, by state. Shows the 15 states with the highest premature death burden. Higher values indicate more lives cut short.

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Cover8 hours ago

Life Expectancy vs. Child Poverty by County

Each dot is a US county. Plots life expectancy against child poverty rate to show the relationship between economic hardship and health outcomes. Counties with higher poverty consistently have shorter life expectancy.

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8 hours ago

Uninsured Rate & Poor Health by State

Bars show uninsured rate by state (left axis). The line traces the share of adults reporting poor or fair health (right axis). States with higher uninsured rates tend to report worse overall health. Sorted by uninsured rate, showing the 20 worst states.

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8 hours ago

Insurance is just one barrier. Even in insured populations, access to providers determines whether people actually get care. Mental health provider shortages affect rural and low-income counties most severely. The next charts show where provider access breaks down and how substance abuse compounds the crisis.

Smoking & Obesity by State

Each dot is a state. Plots adult smoking prevalence against adult obesity prevalence. These two behavioral risk factors tend to co-occur at the state level, reflecting shared underlying conditions like poverty and limited healthcare access.

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Drug Overdose Deaths, Diabetes & Obesity by State

Three health crises side by side for the 15 hardest-hit states. Drug overdose deaths (rate per 100,000), adult diabetes prevalence, and adult obesity prevalence. These conditions cluster geographically, compounding each other.

StateDrug Overdose Death Rate (per 100,000)Diabetes %Obesity %
West Virginia65.612.141.3
District of Columbia56.78.424.5
Delaware45.410.237
Kentucky45.111.440.3
Maryland44.31036.6
Tennessee40.211.736.7
Connecticut39.28.530.4
Ohio38.710.740.7
New Mexico3712.136.3
Massachusetts36.6828.5
Maine36.38.333.1
Louisiana35.71340.9
New Jersey35.59.130
Pennsylvania33.2936.2
North Carolina33.111.237.5
8 hours ago

Mental Health Provider Shortage by State

Average population per mental health provider, by state. Higher values mean fewer providers relative to need. A ratio above 1,000:1 signals critical shortage. Shows the 15 worst states.

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Premature Death & Uninsured Rate by Region

Groups all states into four Census regions and compares average premature death rates. Shows which region of the country carries the heaviest burden of early mortality.

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Primary Care Access & Life Expectancy by State

Bars show the primary care physician shortage (population per physician, left axis). The line traces average life expectancy (right axis). States with fewer doctors per capita tend to have lower life expectancy. Sorted by physician shortage, showing the 20 worst states.

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8 hours ago

Most Underserved Counties in America

The 20 US counties with the highest premature death rates. For each county, shows child poverty, uninsured rate, and life expectancy side by side. This is the reference list for identifying where grant funding is needed most.

CountyPremature Death Rate (per 100,000)Child Poverty %Uninsured Rate %Life Expectancy (Years)
SD - Buffalo County41152451956
SD - Oglala Lakota County32809471760
ND - Benson County32393361262
SD - Dewey County32362291861
SD - Corson County31627541561
MT - Roosevelt County31621281661
SD - Todd County29834461661
ND - Sioux County29640361262
NM - McKinley County25798421865
NE - Thurston County25021291164
SD - Mellette County24765421766
MT - Big Horn County24311261565
AK - Kusilvak Census Area24287331565
KS - Edwards County24004191565
AZ - Apache County23968341666
KS - Kingman County23532171064
VA - Petersburg city2339033965
MS - Tunica County22837421565
SD - Jackson County22796361866
WI - Menominee County2225241666
8 hours ago

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