Health Profile of New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford 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
New Bedford Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.4% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.0% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in New Bedford is 77.0 years, about 3.4 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 5.4%, higher than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.0% of residents, higher than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
32,626 residents in New Bedford are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,569 828 men · 1,740 women
- 75–84 4,338 1,813 men · 2,525 women
- 65–74 8,457 3,765 men · 4,692 women
- 50–64 17,263 8,692 men · 8,571 women
Younger residents
22,237 residents in New Bedford are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,684 3,446 boys · 3,238 girls
- 7–12 6,276 3,444 boys · 2,832 girls
- 3–7 5,223 2,933 boys · 2,289 girls
- 0–3 4,055 2,257 boys · 1,798 girls
About 5,910 residents in New Bedford (5.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.9% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.2% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.3% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in New Bedford is about 28% higher than in Massachusetts. The rate of heart disease in New Bedford is about 25% higher than in Massachusetts. The rate of obesity in New Bedford is about 18% higher than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.2% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.1% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.0% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in New Bedford is about 52% higher than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in New Bedford is about 48% higher than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 162,160 cigarettes a day, 4.9 million a month, or 59.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.8 million minutes a day and 651.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in New Bedford is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 16 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 | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.08 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in New Bedford is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, New Bedford, 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 New Bedford, Massachusetts.
How healthy is New Bedford, Massachusetts?
New Bedford, 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.
How long do people live in New Bedford, Massachusetts?
People in New Bedford, Massachusetts can expect to live 77.0 years on average, 3.4 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What percentage of New Bedford, Massachusetts residents are uninsured?
5.4% of residents in New Bedford, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 2.8 points above the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What is the obesity rate in New Bedford, Massachusetts?
30.3% of adults in New Bedford, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.7 points above the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
What health issue is more common in New Bedford, Massachusetts than elsewhere?
Compared with Massachusetts as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 21.2%, about 52% higher than the Massachusetts rate of 13.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in New Bedford, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 162,160 cigarettes a day, 4.9 million a month, or 59.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.8 million minutes a day and 651.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in New Bedford is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 16 lifetimes a year.
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