Health Profile of Merced County, California
Merced County 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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B
Merced County Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.1% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Merced County is 78.2 years, about 1.4 years shorter than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 8.1%, higher than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.1% of residents, higher than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
74,946 residents in Merced County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,608 1,291 men · 2,317 women
- 75–84 9,353 4,281 men · 5,072 women
- 65–74 18,278 8,719 men · 9,560 women
- 50–64 43,707 22,008 men · 21,699 women
Younger residents
81,166 residents in Merced County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 26,113 13,471 boys · 12,642 girls
- 7–12 24,651 12,666 boys · 11,985 girls
- 3–7 17,866 9,214 boys · 8,652 girls
- 0–3 12,536 6,521 boys · 6,015 girls
About 9,196 residents in Merced County (3.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Merced County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.1% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.8% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.9% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Merced County is about 24% higher than in California. The rate of cancer in Merced County is about 23% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Merced County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.9% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.6% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Merced County is about 31% higher than in California. The rate of smoking in Merced County is about 18% higher than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 340,863 cigarettes a day, 10.2 million a month, or 124.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.7 million minutes a day and 1.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merced County is 78.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.09 lifetimes a day, or 33 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 | Merced County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.96 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 9.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Merced County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Merced County, CA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Merced County, CA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 290,118 residents against a local median of 161,170. Where Merced County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 36% above the local median of 6.0% at 8.1%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 37.9% against a local median of 31.8%, 19% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Merced County, CA reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 2.1% on uninsured, so Merced County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Merced County, CA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County, CA | 290,118 | 78.2 yrs #3/6 | 8.1% #6/6 | 37.9% #6/6 |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 553,305 | 77.6 yrs | 5.6% | 33.4% |
| San Benito County, CA | 67,290 | 82.4 yrs | 6.0% | 31.8% |
| Mariposa County, CA | 17,082 | 78.4 yrs | 5.2% | 31.4% |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 797,313 | 77.4 yrs | 6.3% | 30.8% |
| Madera County, CA | 161,170 | 77.9 yrs | 7.3% | 35.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Merced County, California has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with California, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Merced County, California.
What is the health grade for Merced County, California?
Merced County, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Merced County, California one of the healthiest counties in California?
Merced County ranks 55th healthiest out of 58 counties in California by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Merced County, California?
People in Merced County, California can expect to live 78.2 years on average, 1.4 years shorter than the California average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Merced County, California?
8.1% of residents in Merced County, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.5 points above the California rate of 6.6%.
How common is obesity in Merced County, California?
37.9% of adults in Merced County, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 7.3 points above the California rate of 30.6%.
What is the biggest health concern in Merced County, California?
Compared with California as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 28.6%, about 31% higher than the California rate of 21.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Merced County, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 340,863 cigarettes a day, 10.2 million a month, or 124.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.7 million minutes a day and 1.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merced County is 78.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.09 lifetimes a day, or 33 lifetimes a year.
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