Health Profile of Berkeley, California
Berkeley Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A+
Berkeley Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Berkeley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 83.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.8% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 9.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Berkeley is 83.0 years, about 3.4 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 2.8%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 9.6% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
35,324 residents in Berkeley are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,832 676 men · 1,156 women
- 75–84 4,884 2,150 men · 2,735 women
- 65–74 10,577 4,864 men · 5,713 women
- 50–64 18,032 8,960 men · 9,072 women
Younger residents
14,216 residents in Berkeley are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,517 2,232 boys · 2,285 girls
- 7–12 4,129 2,027 boys · 2,101 girls
- 3–7 3,193 1,594 boys · 1,599 girls
- 0–3 2,378 1,253 boys · 1,124 girls
About 2,601 residents in Berkeley (2.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 83.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Berkeley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.9% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.2% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.0% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 23.4% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Berkeley is about 38% lower than in California. The rate of diabetes in Berkeley is about 34% lower than in California. The rate of obesity in Berkeley is about 24% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Berkeley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 8.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.6% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 13.8% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Berkeley is about 40% lower than in California. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Berkeley is about 37% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 87,052 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 957,571 minutes a day and 349.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berkeley is 83.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.01 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Berkeley | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.85 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Berkeley is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Berkeley, CA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Berkeley, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley, CA | 119,963 | 83.0 yrs #2/2 | 2.8% #1/2 | 23.4% #1/2 |
| El Cerrito, CA | 26,051 | 83.3 yrs | 3.5% | 24.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Berkeley, California has an overall health index grade of A+, making it notably better than California, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Berkeley, California.
Is Berkeley, California a healthy place to live?
Berkeley, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of A+, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A+ grade means residents are among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
What is the average lifespan in Berkeley, California?
People in Berkeley, California can expect to live 83.0 years on average, 3.4 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Berkeley, California?
2.8% of residents in Berkeley, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 35 people, 3.8 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
How common is obesity in Berkeley, California?
23.4% of adults in Berkeley, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 7.2 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Berkeley, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 87,052 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 957,571 minutes a day and 349.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berkeley is 83.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.01 lifetimes a year.
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