7%

WHERE DO WE STAND?

The percentage of Travis County adults who report being current smokers decreased to 7% in 2022, compared to 12% in 2018. Compared to 2020, when 12% of Travis County adults reported being current smokers, this represents a 39% decrease in the rate of current smokers. Travis county has a lower  percentage of people who report smoking as Texas and the nation as a whole.

HOW ABOUT VAPING?

In recent years, the percent of Travis County adults who reported being current e-cigarette users increased from 5% in 2020 to 7% in 2022.

A CLOSER LOOK

In Travis County, White adults were more likely to report being current smokers than other adults in 2022. An estimated 9% of White Travis County residents, 6% of Hispanics, and 1% of adults identifying as other races or ethnicities reported being current smokers in Travis County in 2022. Data for African Americans was not available for 2022.

SMOKING BY SEX

Between 2018 and 2022, a greater share of men reported being current smokers.  In 2022, 7.5% of Travis County men and 7% of women reported being current smokers.

SMOKING BY  INCOME

The data show that 13.5% of Travis County adults who earn less than $25,000 per year, and 13.4% of Travis County adults earning between $25,000 and $49,999 per year, reported being current smokers in 2022. Meanwhile, only 5% of Travis County adults who earn more than $50,000 a year reported being current smokers the same year.

SMOKING BY AGE GROUP

An estimated 9% of Travis County adults between the ages of 30 to 44 reported being current smokers in 2022. Travis County adults in the other age groups reported being current smokers at a rate of about 7% in 2022. The rate of current smokers decreased for all groups over the 5-year period, but the only age group that saw a decrease in the smoking rate over the past year was adults age 45 to 64.

SMOKING BY EDUCATION LEVEL

Travis county adults who are high school graduates reported being current smokers at a rate of 11% in 2022. The next highest rates were for adults some college (8%), and those who are college graduates (4%). The rate for adults have not earned a high school diploma or GED was not available. College graduates have reported being current smokers at a lower rate than adults with other education levels in most of the 5 previous years.

SMOKING BY  EMPLOYMENT STATUS

In 2022, Travis County adults who were unemployed reported being current smokers at a rate of 11% while those who were employed reported smoking at a rate of 6%. However, the rates have varied over the past 5 years with no defined pattern.

SMOKING BY HEALTH INSURANCE STATUS

In 2022, 14% of Travis County adults without health care coverage reported being current smokers, twice the rate reported by local adults with health care coverage (7%). Over the past 5 years, a higher rate of local adults without health care coverage have consistently reported being current smokers.

SMOKING BY DISABILITY STATUS

In 2022, 9% of Travis County adults with a disability reported being current smokers, compared with 7% of local adults with no disability. Local adults with a disability reported smoking at higher rates than local adults without a disability over the past 5 years.

SMOKING BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION

In 2022, 7% of Travis County adults who identified as gay/lesbian/bisexual reported being current smokers. In the same year, 7% of local adults who identified as straight also reported being current smokers.

In 2013 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed questions to collect data on sexual orientation, and in 2014 began giving states the option to add these questions to their BRFSS questionnaires. Data for Travis County is not available previous to 2020.

SMOKING BY MARITAL STATUS

Travis County adults who are not married reported being current smokers at higher rates than local adults who are married. In 2021, 9% of Travis County adults who are not married reported being current smokers, compared with 5% of local adults who were married.