Health Profile of Reading, Massachusetts
Reading 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+
Reading Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Reading | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 83.2 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 1.9% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 7.2% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Reading is 83.2 years, about 2.7 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 7.2% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,102 residents in Reading are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 582 147 men · 435 women
- 75–84 1,396 612 men · 784 women
- 65–74 2,606 1,119 men · 1,486 women
- 50–64 5,519 2,704 men · 2,815 women
Younger residents
5,799 residents in Reading are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,894 932 boys · 962 girls
- 7–12 1,761 971 boys · 791 girls
- 3–7 1,259 685 boys · 574 girls
- 0–3 885 436 boys · 449 girls
About 775 residents in Reading (3.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 83.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Reading | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.7% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.5% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.7% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 20.6% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Reading is about 22% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of obesity in Reading is about 20% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of heart disease in Reading is about 18% lower than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Reading | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 8.6% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.8% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 13.5% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Reading is about 38% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Reading is about 34% lower than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,959 cigarettes a day, 508,764 a month, or 6.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 186,547 minutes a day and 68.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Reading is 83.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.56 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 | Reading | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.61 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Reading is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Reading, MA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
Reading, MA is typical in size for this group, 25,603 residents against a local median of 25,536, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Reading, MA apart most is uninsured: 1.9%, 49% above the local median of 1.3%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread 0.7% on uninsured, so Reading, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Reading, MA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, MA | 25,603 | 83.2 yrs #1/5 | 1.9% #5/5 | 20.6% #1/5 |
| Wakefield, MA | 27,739 | 80.4 yrs | 1.4% | 21.5% |
| Stoneham, MA | 23,334 | 82.1 yrs | 1.2% | 21.5% |
| Wilmington, MA | 23,238 | 81.4 yrs | 0.9% | 22.1% |
| Woburn, MA | 41,946 | 80.5 yrs | 1.6% | 21.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Reading, 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 Reading, Massachusetts.
Is Reading, Massachusetts a healthy place to live?
Reading, 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.
What is the life expectancy in Reading, Massachusetts?
People in Reading, Massachusetts can expect to live 83.2 years on average, 2.7 years longer than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What percentage of Reading, Massachusetts residents are uninsured?
1.9% of residents in Reading, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 52 people, 0.7 points below the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What percentage of Reading, Massachusetts residents are obese?
20.6% of adults in Reading, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 5.1 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Reading, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,959 cigarettes a day, 508,764 a month, or 6.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 186,547 minutes a day and 68.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Reading is 83.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.56 lifetimes a year.
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