Health Profile of Wakefield, Massachusetts
Wakefield 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+
Wakefield Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wakefield | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 1.4% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 8.2% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wakefield is 80.4 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 1.4%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 8.2% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,922 residents in Wakefield are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 755 234 men · 521 women
- 75–84 1,502 662 men · 840 women
- 65–74 2,637 1,277 men · 1,360 women
- 50–64 6,028 2,962 men · 3,066 women
Younger residents
5,476 residents in Wakefield are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,565 936 boys · 629 girls
- 7–12 1,556 784 boys · 772 girls
- 3–7 1,324 660 boys · 664 girls
- 0–3 1,030 551 boys · 478 girls
About 1,311 residents in Wakefield (4.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wakefield | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.0% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.3% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.0% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 21.5% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Wakefield is about 18% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of obesity in Wakefield is about 16% lower than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wakefield | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.1% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 15.1% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Wakefield is about 26% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Wakefield is about 25% lower than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 22,822 cigarettes a day, 684,667 a month, or 8.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 251,045 minutes a day and 91.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wakefield is 80.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.17 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 | Wakefield | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.59 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wakefield is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Wakefield, MA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
Wakefield, MA is typical in size for this group, 27,739 residents against a local median of 27,188, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Wakefield, 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 cities turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 11% below the local median at 1.4% against 1.6%. Wakefield, MA has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield, MA | 27,739 | 80.4 yrs #4/5 | 1.4% #3/5 | 21.5% #3/5 |
| Stoneham, MA | 23,334 | 82.1 yrs | 1.2% | 21.5% |
| Melrose, MA | 29,648 | 81.8 yrs | 0.9% | 21.2% |
| Reading, MA | 25,603 | 83.2 yrs | 1.9% | 20.6% |
| Saugus, MA | 28,773 | 80.3 yrs | 1.9% | 26.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wakefield, 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 Wakefield, Massachusetts.
What is the health grade for Wakefield, Massachusetts?
Wakefield, 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 Wakefield, Massachusetts?
People in Wakefield, Massachusetts can expect to live 80.4 years on average, about the same as the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What percentage of Wakefield, Massachusetts residents are uninsured?
1.4% of residents in Wakefield, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 72 people, 1.2 points below the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Wakefield, Massachusetts?
21.5% of adults in Wakefield, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 4.2 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wakefield, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 22,822 cigarettes a day, 684,667 a month, or 8.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 251,045 minutes a day and 91.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wakefield is 80.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.17 lifetimes a year.
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