Health Profile of Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk 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
Suffolk County Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.1% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.9% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Suffolk County is 79.6 years, about 0.9 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 3.1%, higher than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.9% of residents, higher than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
219,198 residents in Suffolk County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 13,768 4,434 men · 9,335 women
- 75–84 27,740 11,304 men · 16,436 women
- 65–74 54,011 24,204 men · 29,807 women
- 50–64 123,678 60,138 men · 63,541 women
Younger residents
120,729 residents in Suffolk County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 36,551 18,137 boys · 18,414 girls
- 7–12 33,725 17,041 boys · 16,684 girls
- 3–7 27,790 14,261 boys · 13,529 girls
- 0–3 22,663 11,506 boys · 11,156 girls
About 26,045 residents in Suffolk County (3.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.3% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.8% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.5% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 22.7% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Suffolk County is about 31% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of heart disease in Suffolk County is about 22% lower than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.3% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.4% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Suffolk County are about the same as in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 913,930 cigarettes a day, 27.4 million a month, or 333.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.1 million minutes a day and 3.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Suffolk County is 79.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.24 lifetimes a day, or 88 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 | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.93 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Suffolk County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Suffolk County, MA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Suffolk County, MA is typical in size for this group, 779,263 residents against a local median of 729,949, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Suffolk County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 23% above the local median of 2.5% at 3.1%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.4% on uninsured, so Suffolk County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Suffolk County, MA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | 79.6 yrs #5/6 | 3.1% #5/6 | 22.7% #2/6 |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | 81.5 yrs | 1.9% | 24.0% |
| Essex County, MA | 810,585 | 80.6 yrs | 2.8% | 27.3% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | 81.7 yrs | 2.4% | 21.2% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | 80.0 yrs | 2.5% | 25.0% |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | 78.5 yrs | 3.3% | 27.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Suffolk 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 Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
How healthy is Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
Suffolk 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 Suffolk County, Massachusetts one of the healthiest counties in Massachusetts?
Suffolk County ranks 6th 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.
How long do people live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
People in Suffolk County, Massachusetts can expect to live 79.6 years on average, 0.9 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What is the uninsured rate in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
3.1% of residents in Suffolk County, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 32 people, 0.5 points above the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What percentage of Suffolk County, Massachusetts residents are obese?
22.7% of adults in Suffolk County, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 2.9 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Suffolk County, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 913,930 cigarettes a day, 27.4 million a month, or 333.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.1 million minutes a day and 3.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Suffolk County is 79.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.24 lifetimes a day, or 88 lifetimes a year.
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