Health Profile of Massachusetts
Massachusetts 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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A
Massachusetts Above averageHealthiest state in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Massachusetts
- Middlesex County (106% of U.S. avg)
- Hampshire County (106% of U.S. avg)
- Norfolk County (105% of U.S. avg)
- Hampden County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Bristol County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Worcester County (103% 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 | Massachusetts | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Massachusetts is 80.5 years, about 2.2 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 2.6%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.8% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,558,964 residents in Massachusetts are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 156,810 54,805 men · 102,004 women
- 75–84 343,738 146,879 men · 196,859 women
- 65–74 646,977 299,213 men · 347,763 women
- 50–64 1,411,439 687,575 men · 723,864 women
Younger residents
1,313,395 residents in Massachusetts are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 420,205 214,953 boys · 205,253 girls
- 7–12 387,620 199,197 boys · 188,424 girls
- 3–7 291,509 149,967 boys · 141,542 girls
- 0–3 214,061 109,609 boys · 104,452 girls
About 284,995 residents in Massachusetts (4.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Massachusetts | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Massachusetts is about 25% lower than in US. The rate of diabetes in Massachusetts is about 25% lower than in US. The rate of heart disease in Massachusetts is about 19% lower than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Massachusetts | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Massachusetts is about 27% lower than in US. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Massachusetts is about 19% lower than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 7.9 million cigarettes a day, 236.5 million a month, or 2.9 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 86.7 million minutes a day and 31.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Massachusetts is 80.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.05 lifetimes a day, or 748 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 | Massachusetts | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Massachusetts is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Massachusetts Health Compared With Nearby States
Massachusetts is the 2nd largest of the 6 states compared here, 7,031,620 residents against a local median of 1,394,471. Where Massachusetts breaks from the states next to it is uninsured, sitting 51% below the local median of 5.3% at 2.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 3.5% on uninsured, so Massachusetts sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Massachusetts has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 7,031,620 | 80.5 yrs #2/6 | 2.6% #1/6 | 25.6% #1/6 |
| Rhode Island | 1,100,398 | 79.9 yrs | 4.4% | 27.6% |
| Connecticut | 3,347,044 | 80.1 yrs | 5.3% | 30.1% |
| New Hampshire | 1,394,471 | 80.2 yrs | 5.3% | 31.3% |
| Vermont | 646,793 | 80.8 yrs | 3.9% | 28.8% |
| New Jersey | 9,334,304 | 79.4 yrs | 7.5% | 28.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Massachusetts.
Is Massachusetts a healthy place to live?
Massachusetts has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Massachusetts one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Yes. Massachusetts ranks 1st of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
What is the average lifespan in Massachusetts?
People in Massachusetts can expect to live 80.5 years on average, 2.2 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Massachusetts?
2.6% of residents in Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 39 people, 5.8 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
What percentage of Massachusetts residents are obese?
25.6% of adults in Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 8.7 points below the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 7.9 million cigarettes a day, 236.5 million a month, or 2.9 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 86.7 million minutes a day and 31.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Massachusetts is 80.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.05 lifetimes a day, or 748 lifetimes a year.
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