Health Profile of Mercer County, Illinois
Mercer 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.
-
B
Mercer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.6% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.7% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 79.0 years, about 1.1 years longer than the Illinois average of 77.9 years. The uninsured rate is 4.6%, lower than the Illinois average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.7% of residents, lower than the Illinois average of 15.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,541 residents in Mercer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 436 163 men · 274 women
- 75–84 989 463 men · 526 women
- 65–74 1,785 900 men · 886 women
- 50–64 3,330 1,686 men · 1,644 women
Younger residents
3,110 residents in Mercer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,066 566 boys · 500 girls
- 7–12 928 476 boys · 451 girls
- 3–7 649 320 boys · 330 girls
- 0–3 467 245 boys · 222 girls
About 936 residents in Mercer County (6.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mercer County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.6% | 10.7% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.1% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.0% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mercer County are about the same as in Illinois.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mercer County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.7% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.9% | 14.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.0% | 26.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mercer County are about the same as in Illinois.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 22,966 cigarettes a day, 688,986 a month, or 8.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 252,628 minutes a day and 92.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.22 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 | Mercer County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.21 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mercer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mercer County, IL Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, IL is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 15,495 residents against a local median of 42,559. Mercer County, IL 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 uninsured, 7% below the local median at 4.6% against 5.0%. Mercer County, IL has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, IL | 15,495 | 79.0 yrs #4/6 | 4.6% #3/6 | 36.1% #4/6 |
| Rock Island County, IL | 142,693 | 78.0 yrs | 6.1% | 36.0% |
| Warren County, IL | 16,447 | 79.2 yrs | 5.0% | 34.7% |
| Henderson County, IL | 6,193 | 80.5 yrs | 2.6% | 35.5% |
| Scott County, IA | 174,608 | 78.4 yrs | 5.2% | 37.8% |
| Muscatine County, IA | 42,559 | 80.2 yrs | 4.3% | 42.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mercer County, 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 Mercer County, Illinois.
Is Mercer County, Illinois a healthy place to live?
Mercer County, 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.
Is Mercer County, Illinois one of the healthiest counties in Illinois?
Mercer County ranks 33rd healthiest out of 102 counties in Illinois by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Mercer County, Illinois?
People in Mercer County, Illinois can expect to live 79.0 years on average, 1.1 years longer than the Illinois average of 77.9.
How many people lack health insurance in Mercer County, Illinois?
4.6% of residents in Mercer County, Illinois have no health insurance, about 1 in 22 people, 2.2 points below the Illinois rate of 6.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Mercer County, Illinois?
36.1% of adults in Mercer County, Illinois are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Illinois rate of 36.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mercer County, Illinois go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 22,966 cigarettes a day, 688,986 a month, or 8.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 252,628 minutes a day and 92.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.22 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →