Health Profile of San Francisco County, California
San Francisco 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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A+
San Francisco County Top gradeHealthiest county in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | San Francisco County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.3% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in San Francisco County is 81.9 years, about 2.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 3.3%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.0% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
287,179 residents in San Francisco County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 21,488 7,491 men · 13,997 women
- 75–84 40,603 18,504 men · 22,099 women
- 65–74 72,969 34,945 men · 38,024 women
- 50–64 152,119 82,352 men · 69,767 women
Younger residents
107,769 residents in San Francisco County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 31,075 15,723 boys · 15,352 girls
- 7–12 30,222 15,537 boys · 14,684 girls
- 3–7 25,669 13,207 boys · 12,463 girls
- 0–3 20,803 10,639 boys · 10,164 girls
About 31,787 residents in San Francisco County (3.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | San Francisco County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.8% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.5% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 19.4% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in San Francisco County is about 36% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in San Francisco County is about 30% lower than in California. The rate of cancer in San Francisco County is about 22% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | San Francisco County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 9.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.1% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.2% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in San Francisco County is about 33% lower than in California. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in San Francisco County is about 21% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 673,642 cigarettes a day, 20.2 million a month, or 245.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.4 million minutes a day and 2.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Francisco County is 81.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.17 lifetimes a day, or 63 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 | San Francisco County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.34 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in San Francisco County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
San Francisco County, CA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
San Francisco County, CA is typical in size for this group, 829,818 residents against a local median of 733,246, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. San Francisco County, CA's obesity, at 19.4%, runs 22% below the 24.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Uninsured tells the same story from another angle: 3.3% against a local median of 4.0%, 17% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so San Francisco County, CA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 6.7% on obesity, so San Francisco County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Francisco County, CA has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County, CA | 829,818 | 81.9 yrs #3/6 | 3.3% #1/6 | 19.4% #1/6 |
| Marin County, CA | 257,932 | 83.4 yrs | 3.8% | 24.5% |
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | 82.7 yrs | 3.8% | 21.9% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | 80.8 yrs | 4.6% | 28.7% |
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | 80.8 yrs | 4.0% | 25.3% |
| Sonoma County, CA | 485,012 | 80.6 yrs | 5.1% | 24.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Francisco County, 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 San Francisco County, California.
What is the health grade for San Francisco County, California?
San Francisco County, 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.
Is San Francisco County, California one of the healthiest counties in California?
Yes. San Francisco County ranks 1st of 58 counties in California by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
How long do people live in San Francisco County, California?
People in San Francisco County, California can expect to live 81.9 years on average, 2.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in San Francisco County, California?
3.3% of residents in San Francisco County, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 30 people, 3.3 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
What percentage of San Francisco County, California residents are obese?
19.4% of adults in San Francisco County, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 11.2 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in San Francisco County, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 673,642 cigarettes a day, 20.2 million a month, or 245.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.4 million minutes a day and 2.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Francisco County is 81.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.17 lifetimes a day, or 63 lifetimes a year.
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