Health Profile of Bristol County, Massachusetts
Bristol 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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B
Bristol County Around averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.3% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.4% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Bristol County is 78.5 years, about 2.0 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 3.3%, higher than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.4% of residents, higher than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
217,041 residents in Bristol County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 13,065 4,632 men · 8,434 women
- 75–84 28,669 12,116 men · 16,553 women
- 65–74 54,330 25,176 men · 29,153 women
- 50–64 120,977 59,588 men · 61,389 women
Younger residents
116,001 residents in Bristol County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 38,492 19,551 boys · 18,941 girls
- 7–12 34,343 17,555 boys · 16,788 girls
- 3–7 24,868 12,751 boys · 12,117 girls
- 0–3 18,298 9,361 boys · 8,937 girls
About 29,813 residents in Bristol County (5.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.1% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.4% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.6% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Bristol County are about the same as in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.1% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.5% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Bristol County is about 28% higher than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Bristol County is about 21% higher than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 825,612 cigarettes a day, 24.8 million a month, or 301.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 9.1 million minutes a day and 3.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bristol County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.22 lifetimes a day, or 80 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 | Bristol County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.55 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Bristol County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Bristol County, MA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Bristol County, MA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 582,104 residents against a local median of 171,061. Where Bristol County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 31% above the local median of 2.5% at 3.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.1% on uninsured, so Bristol County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bristol County, MA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | 78.5 yrs #6/6 | 3.3% #5/6 | 27.6% #5/6 |
| Bristol County, RI | 50,443 | 80.7 yrs | 2.3% | 24.8% |
| Newport County, RI | 84,657 | 80.5 yrs | 3.9% | 24.9% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | 80.0 yrs | 2.5% | 25.0% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | 81.5 yrs | 1.9% | 24.0% |
| Kent County, RI | 171,061 | 78.9 yrs | 3.2% | 32.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Bristol County, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Massachusetts, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Bristol County, Massachusetts.
What is the health grade for Bristol County, Massachusetts?
Bristol County, Massachusetts 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 Bristol County, Massachusetts one of the healthiest counties in Massachusetts?
Bristol County ranks 13th healthiest out of 14 counties in Massachusetts by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Bristol County, Massachusetts?
People in Bristol County, Massachusetts can expect to live 78.5 years on average, 2.0 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What percentage of Bristol County, Massachusetts residents are uninsured?
3.3% of residents in Bristol County, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 30 people, 0.7 points above the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What percentage of Bristol County, Massachusetts residents are obese?
27.6% of adults in Bristol County, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 2.0 points above the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
Which health problem stands out most in Bristol County, Massachusetts?
Compared with Massachusetts as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 17.8%, about 28% higher than the Massachusetts rate of 13.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Bristol County, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 825,612 cigarettes a day, 24.8 million a month, or 301.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 9.1 million minutes a day and 3.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bristol County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.22 lifetimes a day, or 80 lifetimes a year.
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