Health Profile of Baltimore city, Maryland
Baltimore city 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.
-
C
Baltimore city Below averageLeast healthy county in Maryland
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Baltimore city | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.9% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Baltimore city is 73.1 years, about 5.3 years shorter than the Maryland average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 5.9%, lower than the Maryland average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.9% of residents, higher than the Maryland average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
183,613 residents in Baltimore city are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 9,190 2,750 men · 6,440 women
- 75–84 23,395 8,972 men · 14,423 women
- 65–74 47,768 20,566 men · 27,202 women
- 50–64 103,261 47,483 men · 55,778 women
Younger residents
112,203 residents in Baltimore city are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 33,270 17,093 boys · 16,177 girls
- 7–12 31,966 16,401 boys · 15,565 girls
- 3–7 26,085 13,226 boys · 12,859 girls
- 0–3 20,881 10,602 boys · 10,279 girls
About 40,400 residents in Baltimore city (7.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Baltimore city | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.8% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.3% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 6.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.6% | 34.0% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Baltimore city is about 30% higher than in Maryland. The rate of cancer in Baltimore city is about 22% lower than in Maryland.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Baltimore city | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.9% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.6% | 14.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.5% | 22.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Baltimore city is about 31% higher than in Maryland. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Baltimore city is about 16% higher than in Maryland.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 948,660 cigarettes a day, 28.5 million a month, or 346.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.4 million minutes a day and 3.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Baltimore city is 73.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.27 lifetimes a day, or 99 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 city | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.37 | 5.95 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Baltimore city is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Baltimore city, MD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Baltimore city, MD is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 573,152 residents against a local median of 336,328. Where Baltimore city, MD breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 40% above the local median of 4.2% at 5.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 37.6% against a local median of 30.8%, 22% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Baltimore city, MD reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 2.5% on uninsured, so Baltimore city, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Baltimore city, MD has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore city, MD | 573,152 | 73.1 yrs #6/6 | 5.9% #6/6 | 37.6% #6/6 |
| Baltimore County, MD | 850,783 | 78.1 yrs | 5.4% | 30.8% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 597,957 | 79.0 yrs | 4.7% | 32.0% |
| Howard County, MD | 336,328 | 81.7 yrs | 4.2% | 26.4% |
| Harford County, MD | 263,722 | 78.8 yrs | 3.6% | 32.6% |
| Carroll County, MD | 175,325 | 78.4 yrs | 2.9% | 30.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Baltimore city, Maryland has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Maryland, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Baltimore city, Maryland.
How healthy is Baltimore city, Maryland?
Baltimore city, Maryland has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Baltimore city, Maryland one of the healthiest counties in Maryland?
No. Baltimore city ranks last 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 city, Maryland?
People in Baltimore city, Maryland can expect to live 73.1 years on average, 5.3 years shorter than the Maryland average of 78.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Baltimore city, Maryland?
5.9% of residents in Baltimore city, Maryland have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, about the same as the Maryland rate of 6.3%.
What is the obesity rate in Baltimore city, Maryland?
37.6% of adults in Baltimore city, Maryland are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.6 points above the Maryland rate of 34.0%.
Which health problem stands out most in Baltimore city, Maryland?
Compared with Maryland as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 20.9%, about 31% higher than the Maryland rate of 15.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Baltimore city, Maryland go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 948,660 cigarettes a day, 28.5 million a month, or 346.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 10.4 million minutes a day and 3.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Baltimore city is 73.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.27 lifetimes a day, or 99 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →