Graham County Health Data
Graham County, North Carolina
Health Score
34/100
Below Avg
Life Expectancy
74.5 yr
Uninsured Rate
16.5%
Health Statistics
Life Expectancy
74.5 yr
State avg 74.4 yr
National avg 77.5 yr
Uninsured Rate
16.5%
State avg 12.5%
National avg 9%
Primary Care Providers
37
per 100K population
National avg 82
Mental Health Providers
99
per 100K population
National avg 350
Data Story
About Health in Graham County, North Carolina
Graham's health outcomes near national averages
Graham County residents live an average of 74.5 years, 1.6 years below the U.S. average of 76.1 years, a modest gap for a rural Appalachian county. Nearly 1 in 5 residents (19%) report poor or fair health, slightly above national benchmarks. However, Graham's uninsured rate of 16.5% stands out as significantly higher than national norms.
Modest life expectancy, elevated uninsured rate
Graham's 74.5-year life expectancy essentially matches North Carolina's 74.4-year state average, but its 16.5% uninsured rate far exceeds the state's 12.5%—the largest gap among comparison counties. This insurance gap directly impacts healthcare access and preventive care utilization. Graham faces particular challenges in extending coverage to vulnerable populations.
Highest uninsured rate in western mountains region
Graham's 16.5% uninsured rate significantly exceeds neighboring Cherokee (12.8%) and Clay (14.2%) counties in the western mountains, suggesting localized barriers to coverage. Life expectancy at 74.5 years is competitive with rural mountain peers, but the uninsured gap creates health vulnerability. Graham's coverage challenges are distinctly worse than similar neighboring counties.
Moderate providers, high uninsured barrier to access
Graham offers 37 primary care providers and 99 mental health providers per 100K residents—decent by rural standards—but the elevated 16.5% uninsured rate means substantial portions of the population cannot access these services. The financial barrier created by lack of insurance likely drives worse health outcomes than provider availability alone would suggest. Insurance coverage is the critical limiting factor for Graham residents.
Expand coverage to build healthier community
Graham's 16.5% uninsured rate—roughly 1 in 6 residents—represents the most significant health challenge facing the county, exceeding state averages by 4 percentage points. Many uninsured families qualify for subsidized plans through healthcare.gov or the NC Health Insurance Marketplace at costs well below standard rates. Opening coverage to Graham's uninsured population would immediately improve health security and long-term outcomes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources
Health data sourced from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Data is informational only. Not medical or health advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.