Health Profile of Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester 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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B
Worcester County Around averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Worcester County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.5% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.2% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Worcester County is 79.7 years, about 0.7 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 12.2% of residents, higher than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
311,523 residents in Worcester County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 16,581 5,388 men · 11,194 women
- 75–84 40,081 16,742 men · 23,339 women
- 65–74 75,444 35,889 men · 39,555 women
- 50–64 179,417 88,999 men · 90,418 women
Younger residents
175,499 residents in Worcester County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 56,727 29,039 boys · 27,688 girls
- 7–12 52,080 26,728 boys · 25,352 girls
- 3–7 38,596 19,881 boys · 18,715 girls
- 0–3 28,095 14,494 boys · 13,601 girls
About 35,332 residents in Worcester County (4.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Worcester County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.7% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.6% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Worcester County is about 19% higher than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Worcester County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.8% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Worcester County are about the same as in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.6 million a month, or 396.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.0 million minutes a day and 4.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Worcester County is 79.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.29 lifetimes a day, or 104 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 | Worcester County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.27 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Worcester County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Worcester County, MA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Worcester County, MA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 867,628 residents against a local median of 426,152. Where Worcester County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 53% below the local median of 5.4% at 2.5%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Worcester County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Worcester County, MA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County, MA | 867,628 | 79.7 yrs #4/6 | 2.5% #2/6 | 30.6% #4/6 |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 78,384 | 80.2 yrs | 3.7% | 33.0% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | 81.7 yrs | 2.4% | 21.2% |
| Providence County, RI | 663,899 | 78.5 yrs | 5.4% | 31.8% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | 79.1 yrs | 5.5% | 30.3% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 77,281 | 80.4 yrs | 6.2% | 30.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Worcester County, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Massachusetts, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
Is Worcester County, Massachusetts a healthy place to live?
Worcester County, Massachusetts has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Worcester County, Massachusetts one of the healthiest counties in Massachusetts?
Worcester County ranks 12th 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 Worcester County, Massachusetts?
People in Worcester County, Massachusetts can expect to live 79.7 years on average, 0.7 years shorter than the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What percentage of Worcester County, Massachusetts residents are uninsured?
2.5% of residents in Worcester County, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 40 people, about the same as the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
30.6% of adults in Worcester County, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.9 points above the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Worcester County, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.6 million a month, or 396.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.0 million minutes a day and 4.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Worcester County is 79.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.29 lifetimes a day, or 104 lifetimes a year.
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