Health Profile of Chicago, Illinois
Chicago 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
Chicago Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Chicago | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.9% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Chicago is 76.6 years, about 1.3 years shorter than the Illinois average of 77.9 years. The uninsured rate is 9.9%, higher than the Illinois average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.5% of residents, higher than the Illinois average of 15.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
782,050 residents in Chicago are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 43,208 13,188 men · 30,020 women
- 75–84 100,423 39,965 men · 60,458 women
- 65–74 192,562 85,335 men · 107,227 women
- 50–64 445,858 221,573 men · 224,284 women
Younger residents
512,261 residents in Chicago are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 151,703 75,711 boys · 75,992 girls
- 7–12 146,246 73,249 boys · 72,997 girls
- 3–7 119,836 60,587 boys · 59,249 girls
- 0–3 94,477 47,947 boys · 46,530 girls
About 124,551 residents in Chicago (4.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Chicago | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.3% | 10.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.7% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.1% | 7.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.8% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Chicago is about 34% lower than in Illinois. The rate of heart disease in Chicago is about 28% lower than in Illinois.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Chicago | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.7% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.0% | 14.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.9% | 26.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Chicago is about 18% lower than in Illinois.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3.3 million cigarettes a day, 100.1 million a month, or 1.2 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 36.7 million minutes a day and 13.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chicago is 76.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.91 lifetimes a day, or 333 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 | Chicago | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.29 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Chicago is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Chicago, IL Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Chicago, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | 2,650,794 | 76.6 yrs #3/3 | 9.9% #1/3 | 32.8% #2/3 |
| Cicero, IL | 82,796 | 77.9 yrs | 20.0% | 34.7% |
| Berwyn, IL | 55,595 | 78.8 yrs | 10.2% | 30.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Chicago, Illinois has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Illinois, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Chicago, Illinois.
Is Chicago, Illinois a healthy place to live?
Chicago, Illinois 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.
How long do people live in Chicago, Illinois?
People in Chicago, Illinois can expect to live 76.6 years on average, 1.3 years shorter than the Illinois average of 77.9.
What percentage of Chicago, Illinois residents are uninsured?
9.9% of residents in Chicago, Illinois have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 3.0 points above the Illinois rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Chicago, Illinois residents are obese?
32.8% of adults in Chicago, Illinois are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.2 points below the Illinois rate of 36.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Chicago, Illinois go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3.3 million cigarettes a day, 100.1 million a month, or 1.2 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 36.7 million minutes a day and 13.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chicago is 76.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.91 lifetimes a day, or 333 lifetimes a year.
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