Health Profile of Merrillville, Indiana
Merrillville 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
Merrillville Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.8% | 7.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.8% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Merrillville is 76.3 years, about 1.2 years shorter than the Indiana average of 77.4 years. The uninsured rate is 6.8%, lower than the Indiana average of 7.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.8% of residents, higher than the Indiana average of 17.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
14,557 residents in Merrillville are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 868 291 men · 576 women
- 75–84 2,042 715 men · 1,327 women
- 65–74 3,841 1,773 men · 2,068 women
- 50–64 7,806 3,645 men · 4,160 women
Younger residents
8,602 residents in Merrillville are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,959 1,620 boys · 1,339 girls
- 7–12 2,598 1,335 boys · 1,263 girls
- 3–7 1,831 920 boys · 911 girls
- 0–3 1,214 641 boys · 574 girls
About 2,656 residents in Merrillville (6.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.3% | 11.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.5% | 7.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.6% | 38.8% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Merrillville is about 15% higher than in Indiana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.3% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 16.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.1% | 27.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Merrillville are about the same as in Indiana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 60,958 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 22.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 670,535 minutes a day and 244.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merrillville is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.11 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 | Merrillville | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.03 | 7.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Merrillville is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Merrillville, IN Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Merrillville, IN compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrillville, IN | 39,705 | 76.3 yrs #2/3 | 6.8% #2/3 | 40.6% #3/3 |
| Hobart, IN | 28,846 | 76.0 yrs | 7.4% | 37.0% |
| Crown Point, IN | 27,138 | 80.3 yrs | 3.1% | 35.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Merrillville, Indiana has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Indiana, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Merrillville, Indiana.
How healthy is Merrillville, Indiana?
Merrillville, Indiana 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 Merrillville, Indiana?
People in Merrillville, Indiana can expect to live 76.3 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the Indiana average of 77.4.
What percentage of Merrillville, Indiana residents are uninsured?
6.8% of residents in Merrillville, Indiana have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 0.6 points below the Indiana rate of 7.4%.
What percentage of Merrillville, Indiana residents are obese?
40.6% of adults in Merrillville, Indiana are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 1.8 points above the Indiana rate of 38.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Merrillville, Indiana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 60,958 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 22.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 670,535 minutes a day and 244.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merrillville is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.11 lifetimes a year.
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