Health Profile of Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore 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
Baltimore County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Baltimore County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.4% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Baltimore County is 78.1 years, about 0.3 years shorter than the Maryland average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 5.4%, lower than the Maryland average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.6% of residents, lower than the Maryland average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
306,117 residents in Baltimore County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 19,144 6,607 men · 12,537 women
- 75–84 44,852 18,371 men · 26,481 women
- 65–74 78,645 35,593 men · 43,052 women
- 50–64 163,477 77,246 men · 86,231 women
Younger residents
180,236 residents in Baltimore County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 55,809 28,759 boys · 27,049 girls
- 7–12 53,784 27,270 boys · 26,515 girls
- 3–7 40,994 20,639 boys · 20,355 girls
- 0–3 29,649 15,046 boys · 14,603 girls
About 47,780 residents in Baltimore County (5.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Baltimore County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.2% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 6.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.8% | 34.0% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Baltimore County are about the same as in Maryland.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Baltimore County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.1% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.7% | 14.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.2% | 22.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Baltimore County are about the same as in Maryland.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 937,970 cigarettes a day, 28.1 million a month, or 342.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.3 million minutes a day and 3.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Baltimore County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.25 lifetimes a day, or 92 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 | Baltimore County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.41 | 5.95 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Baltimore County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Baltimore County, MD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Baltimore County, MD is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 850,783 residents against a local median of 300,025. The measure that sets Baltimore County, MD apart most is uninsured: 5.4%, 40% above the local median of 3.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.8% on uninsured, so Baltimore County, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Baltimore County, MD has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore County, MD | 850,783 | 78.1 yrs #5/5 | 5.4% #5/5 | 30.8% #3/5 |
| Harford County, MD | 263,722 | 78.8 yrs | 3.6% | 32.6% |
| Howard County, MD | 336,328 | 81.7 yrs | 4.2% | 26.4% |
| Carroll County, MD | 175,325 | 78.4 yrs | 2.9% | 30.4% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 597,957 | 79.0 yrs | 4.7% | 32.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Baltimore County, Maryland has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Maryland, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Is Baltimore County, Maryland a healthy place to live?
Baltimore County, Maryland 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 Baltimore County, Maryland one of the healthiest counties in Maryland?
Baltimore County ranks 11th healthiest out of 24 counties in Maryland by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Baltimore County, Maryland?
People in Baltimore County, Maryland can expect to live 78.1 years on average, about the same as the Maryland average of 78.4.
How many people lack health insurance in Baltimore County, Maryland?
5.4% of residents in Baltimore County, Maryland have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 0.8 points below the Maryland rate of 6.3%.
How common is obesity in Baltimore County, Maryland?
30.8% of adults in Baltimore County, Maryland are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.1 points below the Maryland rate of 34.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Baltimore County, Maryland go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 937,970 cigarettes a day, 28.1 million a month, or 342.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.3 million minutes a day and 3.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Baltimore County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.25 lifetimes a day, or 92 lifetimes a year.
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