The effects of smoking in some areas be attributed to increase in healthcare costs and death by lung cancer rates in certain areas. The author has no idea about how to robustly go about that, so he made some pretty poor quailty maps instead. For a more nuanced look at the data, read some published literature.
Iowa is an aging state. Average costs of healthcare vary across the state. Is there a connection? State tuned to find out.
Smoking percentages vary around the state. These values are based on the percentage of smokers older than 18.
Many Counties in Iowa have a high amount of population greater than the retirement age. Trends become apparent when plotted.