Health Profile of Connecticut
Connecticut 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
Connecticut Around averageHealthier than 90% of states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Connecticut
- Western Connecticut Planning Region (105% of U.S. avg)
- Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region (104% of U.S. avg)
- Northwest Hills Planning Region (103% of U.S. avg)
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (102% of U.S. avg)
- South Central Connecticut Planning Region (102% of U.S. avg)
- Capitol Planning Region (102% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Connecticut | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Connecticut is 80.1 years, about 1.8 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 5.3%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.0% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,289,390 residents in Connecticut are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 79,472 28,204 men · 51,268 women
- 75–84 174,475 75,798 men · 98,678 women
- 65–74 328,292 152,721 men · 175,571 women
- 50–64 707,151 342,703 men · 364,448 women
Younger residents
636,971 residents in Connecticut are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 205,665 105,580 boys · 100,085 girls
- 7–12 189,501 96,885 boys · 92,616 girls
- 3–7 140,456 71,940 boys · 68,516 girls
- 0–3 101,350 52,212 boys · 49,138 girls
About 148,212 residents in Connecticut (4.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Connecticut | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Connecticut is about 20% lower than in US. The rate of heart disease in Connecticut is about 19% lower than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Connecticut | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Connecticut is about 20% lower than in US. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Connecticut is about 20% lower than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 4.1 million cigarettes a day, 122.1 million a month, or 1.5 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 44.8 million minutes a day and 16.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Connecticut is 80.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 1.06 lifetimes a day, or 388 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 | Connecticut | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.62 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Connecticut is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Connecticut Health Compared With Nearby States
Connecticut is the 3rd largest of the 6 states compared here, 3,347,044 residents against a local median of 1,394,471. Connecticut's uninsured, at 5.3%, runs 20% above the 4.4% typical of the states around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 4.9% on uninsured, so Connecticut sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Connecticut has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 3,347,044 | 80.1 yrs #4/6 | 5.3% #5/6 | 30.1% #5/6 |
| Rhode Island | 1,100,398 | 79.9 yrs | 4.4% | 27.6% |
| Massachusetts | 7,031,620 | 80.5 yrs | 2.6% | 25.6% |
| New Hampshire | 1,394,471 | 80.2 yrs | 5.3% | 31.3% |
| New Jersey | 9,334,304 | 79.4 yrs | 7.5% | 28.9% |
| Vermont | 646,793 | 80.8 yrs | 3.9% | 28.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Connecticut has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Connecticut.
Is Connecticut a healthy place to live?
Connecticut 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 Connecticut one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Connecticut ranks 6th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Connecticut?
People in Connecticut can expect to live 80.1 years on average, 1.8 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Connecticut?
5.3% of residents in Connecticut have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 3.1 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
How common is obesity in Connecticut?
30.1% of adults in Connecticut are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.2 points below the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Connecticut go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 4.1 million cigarettes a day, 122.1 million a month, or 1.5 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 44.8 million minutes a day and 16.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Connecticut is 80.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 1.06 lifetimes a day, or 388 lifetimes a year.
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