Health Profile of Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Norfolk 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+
Norfolk County Top gradeAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 1.9% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 9.0% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Norfolk County is 81.5 years, about 1.0 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 1.9%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 9.0% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
270,761 residents in Norfolk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 18,049 5,782 men · 12,267 women
- 75–84 36,127 15,329 men · 20,799 women
- 65–74 66,287 30,463 men · 35,824 women
- 50–64 150,298 73,021 men · 77,276 women
Younger residents
143,581 residents in Norfolk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 46,528 23,447 boys · 23,081 girls
- 7–12 42,166 21,697 boys · 20,469 girls
- 3–7 31,594 16,377 boys · 15,217 girls
- 0–3 23,292 11,925 boys · 11,367 girls
About 28,456 residents in Norfolk County (3.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.6% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.9% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 24.0% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Norfolk County are about the same as in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.9% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.5% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.9% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Norfolk County is about 21% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Norfolk County is about 17% lower than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 635,261 cigarettes a day, 19.1 million a month, or 231.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.0 million minutes a day and 2.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Norfolk County is 81.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.16 lifetimes a day, or 60 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 | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.11 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Norfolk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Norfolk County, MA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Norfolk County, MA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 729,949 residents against a local median of 582,104. The measure that sets Norfolk County, MA apart most is uninsured: 1.9%, 26% below the local median of 2.5%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.0% on uninsured, so Norfolk County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Norfolk County, MA has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | 81.5 yrs #2/6 | 1.9% #1/6 | 24.0% #3/6 |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | 79.6 yrs | 3.1% | 22.7% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | 81.7 yrs | 2.4% | 21.2% |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | 78.5 yrs | 3.3% | 27.6% |
| Bristol County, RI | 50,443 | 80.7 yrs | 2.3% | 24.8% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | 80.0 yrs | 2.5% | 25.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
What is the health grade for Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, Massachusetts one of the healthiest counties in Massachusetts?
Norfolk County ranks 3rd 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 Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
People in Norfolk County, Massachusetts can expect to live 81.5 years on average, 1.0 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
1.9% of residents in Norfolk County, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 54 people, 0.7 points below the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
How common is obesity in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
24.0% of adults in Norfolk County, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 1.7 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Norfolk County, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 635,261 cigarettes a day, 19.1 million a month, or 231.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.0 million minutes a day and 2.6 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Norfolk County is 81.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.16 lifetimes a day, or 60 lifetimes a year.
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