Publication date:
March 13, 2018
About the tool
With this interactive map, you can explore health trends in the United States at the county level for both sexes for:
- 29 cancers
- 21 major causes of death
- Life expectancy
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Physical activity
- Alcohol use
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
Use the settings at the top to select a year, cause of death, and sex. Use the time trend menu on the right to explore time trends for specific counties.
Definitions for risk factors in this visualization here.
Interact with the data visualization
Data Downloads
To download data, please see the links under Related Content > Related GHDx Records at the bottom of this page.
Browser issues
- Use the latest version of Edge, Internet Explorer (currently IE11), Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
- Make sure to disable compatibility mode in Internet Explorer. In some cases, it renders a site unusable.
- Use Ctrl+0 to reset the browser zoom. Sometimes having the browser zoomed in or out interferes with the layout or a few mouse-dependent properties.
- If the visualization isn't loading or looks distorted, try clearing your cache. See http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cache for pointers.
Related Content
Citation:
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). US Health Map. Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington, 2016. Available from http://vizhub.healthdata.org/subnational/usa. (Accessed [INSERT DATE])
News releases
New study finds where you live may determine likelihood of dying from cancer
The rate at which Americans die from cancers varies dramatically by where they live, according to a new scientific analysis.
American death rate from drugs, alcohol, and mental disorders nearly triples since 1980
More than 2,000 US counties witnessed increases of 200% or more in deaths related to substance abuse and mental disorders since 1980, including clusters of counties in Kentucky, West Virginia, and ...
Heavy drinking and binge drinking rise sharply in US counties
Today, Americans are more likely to be heavy drinkers and binge drinkers than in recent years due in large part to rising rates of drinking among women, according to a new analysis of county-level ...
The vast majority of American adults are overweight or obese, and weight is a growing problem among US children
An estimated 160 million Americans are either obese or overweight. Nearly three-quarters of American men and more than 60% of women are obese or overweight. These are also major challenges for Amer...
Obesity continues to rise in nearly all counties but Americans becoming more physically active, too
The rise in physical activity levels will have a positive health impact on Americans by reducing death and chronic disability from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. But the trend has had little...
Girls born in 2009 will live shorter lives than their mothers in hundreds of US counties
Lifespan gap between counties grows; life expectancies for black Americans improve greatly.
Americans gaining more weight than they say
IHME study identifies discrepancies between national surveys tracking obesity; women appear to be more attuned to weight changes than men.
Huge disparities in hypertension seen across US counties
One in five Americans is completely unaware that he or she is at risk for the second leading cause of premature death: high blood pressure. In the first ever analysis of awareness, treatme...
Dietary risks are leading cause of disease burden in the US and contributed to more health loss in 2010 than smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar
In nearly every major cause of premature death – from ischemic heart disease to diabetes to interpersonal violence – the United States trails its economic peers, according to new research from ...
Small number of counties lead the way in reducing smoking rates in the US
Nationally, smoking rates have decreased since 1996, but the declines have been driven by a relatively small share of counties across the US, according to new re...
Growing gap between longest and shortest lifespans in the US emphasizes the need for policy action
Babies born today in 13 US counties have shorter expected lifespans than their parents did when they were born decades ago, according to a new study. For example, life expectancy at birth in ...
Substantial differences between US counties for death rates from ischemic heart disease, stroke
Although the absolute difference in US county-level cardiovascular disease mortality rates have declined substantially over the past 35 years for both ischemic hear...
County-by-county study reveals 600% increase in drug-related deaths
Deaths in the United States from drug use disorders between 1980 and 2014 increased overall by more than 600%, but in some counties the increases exceeded 5,000%, according to a new scien...
Despite reductions in infectious disease mortality in US, diarrheal disease deaths on the rise
Deaths from infectious diseases have declined overall in the United States over the past three decades. However, the rates of decline varied significantly by counties, according to a new scientific...Publications
Trends and patterns of disparities in cancer mortality among US counties, 1980–2014
Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and results in a high economic burden. Our objective of this study was to estimate age-standardized mortality rates by...
US county-level trends in mortality rates for causes of death, 1980-2014
County-level patterns in mortality rates by cause have not been systematically described but are potentially useful for public health officials, clinicians, and researchers seeking to improve healt...
Drinking patterns in US counties from 2002 to 2012
We estimated the prevalence of any drinking and binge drinking from 2002 to 2012 and heavy drinking from 2005 to 2012 in every US county.
Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
In 2010, overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3.4 million deaths, 3.9% of years of life lost, and 3.8% of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) worldwide. We estimate the global, regiona...
Cigarette smoking prevalence in US counties: 1996- 2012
Cigarette smoking is a leading risk factor for morbidity and premature mortality in the United States, yet information about smoking prevalence and trends is not routinely available belo...
Inequalities in life expectancy among US counties, 1980 to 2014
Examining life expectancy by county allows for tracking geographic disparities over time and assessing factors related to these disparities. This information is potentially useful for policymakers,...
Trends and patterns of geographic variation in cardiovascular mortality among US counties, 1980–2014
Regional variation in cardiovascular mortality is well-known but county-level estimates for all major cardiovascular conditions have not been produced.
Trends and patterns of geographic variation in mortality from substance use disorders and intentional injuries among US counties, 1980-2014
Substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders, and intentional injuries, including self-harm and interpersonal violence, are important causes of early death and di...
Trends and patterns of differences in infectious disease mortality among US counties, 1980–2014
Infectious diseases are mostly preventable but still pose a public health threat in the United States, where estimates of infectious diseases mortality are not available at the county level. In thi...Videos
US County-Level Trends in Mortality Rates for Major Causes of Death
This population epidemiology study estimates county-level patterns in mortality rates for 21 major causes of death in the United States from 1980 through 2014. Read the article at:
US County-Level Trends in Mortality Rates for Major Causes of Death, JAMA
This population epidemiology study estimates county-level patterns in mortality rates for 21 major causes of death in the United States from 1980 through 2014. Read the article at:
US life expectancy, 1980–2014
An animation to accompany the study titled, "Inequalities in life expectancy among US counties, 1980 to 2014."
US deaths from breast cancer, 1980–2014
An animation to accompany the study titled, "Trends and patterns of disparities in cancer mortality among US counties, 1980–2014."
US deaths from liver cancer, 1980–2014
An animation to accompany the study titled, "Trends and patterns of disparities in cancer mortality among US counties, 1980–2014."