Health Profile of Monterey County, California
Monterey 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
Monterey County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.6% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Monterey County is 80.8 years, about 1.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 9.6%, higher than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.7% of residents, higher than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
131,571 residents in Monterey County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 8,188 3,225 men · 4,964 women
- 75–84 16,867 7,498 men · 9,369 women
- 65–74 33,609 15,912 men · 17,697 women
- 50–64 72,907 37,446 men · 35,462 women
Younger residents
109,359 residents in Monterey County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 34,832 17,732 boys · 17,100 girls
- 7–12 32,408 16,596 boys · 15,812 girls
- 3–7 24,191 12,372 boys · 11,819 girls
- 0–3 17,928 9,156 boys · 8,772 girls
About 13,687 residents in Monterey County (3.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Monterey County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.0% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.2% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.4% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.8% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Monterey County is about 17% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in Monterey County is about 16% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Monterey County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 12.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.7% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.9% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Monterey County are about the same as in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 407,906 cigarettes a day, 12.2 million a month, or 148.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.5 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Monterey County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 39 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 | Monterey County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.28 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Monterey County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Monterey County, CA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Monterey County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 437,328 residents against a local median of 281,514. Where Monterey County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 68% above the local median of 5.7% at 9.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.2% on uninsured, so Monterey County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monterey County, CA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County, CA | 437,328 | 80.8 yrs #4/6 | 9.6% #6/6 | 30.8% #4/6 |
| San Benito County, CA | 67,290 | 82.4 yrs | 6.0% | 31.8% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | 81.4 yrs | 4.9% | 27.2% |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | 82.7 yrs | 3.9% | 21.6% |
| Merced County, CA | 290,118 | 78.2 yrs | 8.1% | 37.9% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 281,514 | 80.3 yrs | 5.7% | 27.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Monterey County, California has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than California, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Monterey County, California.
How healthy is Monterey County, California?
Monterey 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 Monterey County, California one of the healthiest counties in California?
Monterey County ranks 26th 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.
How long do people live in Monterey County, California?
People in Monterey County, California can expect to live 80.8 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Monterey County, California?
9.6% of residents in Monterey County, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 3.0 points above the California rate of 6.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Monterey County, California?
30.8% of adults in Monterey County, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Monterey County, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 407,906 cigarettes a day, 12.2 million a month, or 148.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.5 million minutes a day and 1.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Monterey County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 39 lifetimes a year.
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