Health Profile of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Middlesex 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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A+
Middlesex County Top gradeHealthiest county in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.7 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.4% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 8.6% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Middlesex County is 81.7 years, about 1.3 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 2.4%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 8.6% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
565,543 residents in Middlesex County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 34,222 12,133 men · 22,089 women
- 75–84 75,285 32,442 men · 42,843 women
- 65–74 138,427 63,759 men · 74,668 women
- 50–64 317,609 156,927 men · 160,682 women
Younger residents
304,418 residents in Middlesex County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 94,909 48,170 boys · 46,739 girls
- 7–12 91,051 46,875 boys · 44,176 girls
- 3–7 68,895 35,719 boys · 33,176 girls
- 0–3 49,562 25,495 boys · 24,067 girls
About 54,494 residents in Middlesex County (3.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.1% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 21.2% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Middlesex County is about 21% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of obesity in Middlesex County is about 17% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of diabetes in Middlesex County is about 17% lower than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.6% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.0% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Middlesex County is about 27% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Middlesex County is about 21% lower than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 40.0 million a month, or 486.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 14.7 million minutes a day and 5.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Middlesex County is 81.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.34 lifetimes a day, or 125 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 | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.94 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Middlesex County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Middlesex County, MA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Middlesex County, MA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,636,094 residents against a local median of 779,263. The measure that sets Middlesex County, MA apart most is obesity: 21.2%, 22% below the local median of 27.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Uninsured tells the same story from another angle: 2.4% against a local median of 2.8%, 15% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Middlesex County, MA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 7.8% on obesity, so Middlesex County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Middlesex County, MA has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | 81.7 yrs #1/6 | 2.4% #2/6 | 21.2% #1/6 |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | 81.5 yrs | 1.9% | 24.0% |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | 79.6 yrs | 3.1% | 22.7% |
| Worcester County, MA | 867,628 | 79.7 yrs | 2.5% | 30.6% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | 79.1 yrs | 5.5% | 30.3% |
| Essex County, MA | 810,585 | 80.6 yrs | 2.8% | 27.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Middlesex County, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of A+, making it somewhat better than Massachusetts, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
How healthy is Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
Middlesex County, 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 among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
Is Middlesex County, Massachusetts one of the healthiest counties in Massachusetts?
Yes. Middlesex County ranks 1st of 14 counties in Massachusetts by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
How long do people live in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
People in Middlesex County, Massachusetts can expect to live 81.7 years on average, 1.3 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What is the uninsured rate in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
2.4% of residents in Middlesex County, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 42 people, about the same as the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
21.2% of adults in Middlesex County, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 4.4 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Middlesex County, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 40.0 million a month, or 486.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 14.7 million minutes a day and 5.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Middlesex County is 81.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.34 lifetimes a day, or 125 lifetimes a year.
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