Health Profile of Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth 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
Plymouth County Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Plymouth County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.5% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.4% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Plymouth County is 80.0 years, about 0.5 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 2.5%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.4% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
211,341 residents in Plymouth County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 11,240 3,774 men · 7,466 women
- 75–84 27,742 11,886 men · 15,856 women
- 65–74 54,603 25,336 men · 29,267 women
- 50–64 117,756 57,241 men · 60,515 women
Younger residents
106,907 residents in Plymouth County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 34,435 17,770 boys · 16,665 girls
- 7–12 31,416 16,245 boys · 15,171 girls
- 3–7 23,717 12,217 boys · 11,500 girls
- 0–3 17,340 8,860 boys · 8,480 girls
About 22,474 residents in Plymouth County (4.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Plymouth County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.9% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 25.0% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Plymouth County are about the same as in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Plymouth County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.9% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.1% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.4% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Plymouth County are about the same as in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 631,981 cigarettes a day, 19.0 million a month, or 230.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.0 million minutes a day and 2.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Plymouth County is 80.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.17 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 | Plymouth County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.58 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Plymouth County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Plymouth County, MA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Plymouth County, MA is typical in size for this group, 534,586 residents against a local median of 582,104, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Plymouth County, MA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 6% below the local median at 2.5% against 2.7%. Plymouth County, MA has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | 80.0 yrs #4/6 | 2.5% #3/6 | 25.0% #3/6 |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | 78.5 yrs | 3.3% | 27.6% |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | 79.6 yrs | 3.1% | 22.7% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | 81.5 yrs | 1.9% | 24.0% |
| Barnstable County, MA | 231,272 | 80.4 yrs | 2.7% | 25.3% |
| Dukes County, MA | 20,933 | 81.3 yrs | 2.1% | 25.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Plymouth County, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Massachusetts, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
How healthy is Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
Plymouth 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 much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Plymouth County, Massachusetts one of the healthiest counties in Massachusetts?
Plymouth County ranks 8th 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 average lifespan in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
People in Plymouth County, Massachusetts can expect to live 80.0 years on average, 0.5 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
2.5% of residents in Plymouth County, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 40 people, about the same as the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What percentage of Plymouth County, Massachusetts residents are obese?
25.0% of adults in Plymouth County, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 0.6 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Plymouth County, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 631,981 cigarettes a day, 19.0 million a month, or 230.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.0 million minutes a day and 2.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Plymouth County is 80.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.17 lifetimes a day, or 60 lifetimes a year.
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