Health Profile of San Mateo County, California
San Mateo 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 Mateo County Top gradeAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 82.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.8% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 10.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in San Mateo County is 82.7 years, about 3.1 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 3.8%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 10.8% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
264,422 residents in San Mateo County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 17,721 6,576 men · 11,145 women
- 75–84 37,340 15,976 men · 21,364 women
- 65–74 66,638 31,224 men · 35,414 women
- 50–64 142,723 70,222 men · 72,501 women
Younger residents
141,271 residents in San Mateo County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 43,063 21,914 boys · 21,149 girls
- 7–12 41,275 21,118 boys · 20,156 girls
- 3–7 32,526 16,691 boys · 15,836 girls
- 0–3 24,407 12,505 boys · 11,902 girls
About 24,812 residents in San Mateo County (3.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 82.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.5% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 21.9% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in San Mateo County is about 28% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in San Mateo County is about 28% lower than in California. The rate of diabetes in San Mateo County is about 19% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 8.9% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.7% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.7% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in San Mateo County is about 36% lower than in California. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in San Mateo County is about 24% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 526,965 cigarettes a day, 15.8 million a month, or 192.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.8 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Mateo County is 82.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.13 lifetimes a day, or 49 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 Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.12 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in San Mateo County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
San Mateo County, CA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
San Mateo County, CA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 733,246 residents against a local median of 1,163,035. San Mateo County, CA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 13% below the local median at 21.9% against 25.3%. San Mateo County, CA has the 3rd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | 82.7 yrs #1/6 | 3.8% #2/6 | 21.9% #3/6 |
| San Francisco County, CA | 829,818 | 81.9 yrs | 3.3% | 19.4% |
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | 80.8 yrs | 4.0% | 25.3% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | 81.4 yrs | 4.9% | 27.2% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | 80.8 yrs | 4.6% | 28.7% |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | 82.7 yrs | 3.9% | 21.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Mateo 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 Mateo County, California.
Is San Mateo County, California a healthy place to live?
San Mateo 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 Mateo County, California one of the healthiest counties in California?
San Mateo County ranks 2nd 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 San Mateo County, California?
People in San Mateo County, California can expect to live 82.7 years on average, 3.1 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in San Mateo County, California?
3.8% of residents in San Mateo County, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 26 people, 2.8 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
How common is obesity in San Mateo County, California?
21.9% of adults in San Mateo County, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 8.7 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in San Mateo County, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 526,965 cigarettes a day, 15.8 million a month, or 192.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.8 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Mateo County is 82.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.13 lifetimes a day, or 49 lifetimes a year.
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