Health Profile of Washington County, Maryland
Washington 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
Washington County Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Maryland
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Washington County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.3% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Washington County is 76.1 years, about 2.3 years shorter than the Maryland average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is about the same as in Maryland, at 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.9% of residents, higher than the Maryland average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
57,375 residents in Washington County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,289 1,117 men · 2,172 women
- 75–84 8,397 3,662 men · 4,734 women
- 65–74 14,674 6,917 men · 7,758 women
- 50–64 31,015 15,493 men · 15,522 women
Younger residents
32,445 residents in Washington County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 10,139 5,178 boys · 4,962 girls
- 7–12 9,734 4,901 boys · 4,833 girls
- 3–7 7,345 3,717 boys · 3,628 girls
- 0–3 5,226 2,636 boys · 2,591 girls
About 10,646 residents in Washington County (6.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Washington County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 6.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.0% | 34.0% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Washington County are about the same as in Maryland.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Washington County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.9% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.4% | 14.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.9% | 22.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Washington County is about 31% higher than in Maryland. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Washington County is about 22% higher than in Maryland.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 255,229 cigarettes a day, 7.7 million a month, or 93.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.8 million minutes a day and 1.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 76.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 26 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 | Washington County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.57 | 5.95 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Washington County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Washington County, MD Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, MD is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 155,706 residents against a local median of 129,514. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Washington County, MD an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 6% above the local median at 6.3% against 5.9%. Washington County, MD has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MD | 155,706 | 76.1 yrs #6/6 | 6.3% #5/6 | 37.0% #4/6 |
| Berkeley County, WV | 129,514 | 76.4 yrs | 5.9% | 39.3% |
| Jefferson County, WV | 59,260 | 77.9 yrs | 6.0% | 35.7% |
| Franklin County, PA | 157,379 | 80.1 yrs | 8.9% | 40.0% |
| Frederick County, MD | 287,011 | 80.0 yrs | 4.7% | 31.9% |
| Fulton County, PA | 14,531 | 77.0 yrs | 5.1% | 36.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Washington County, Maryland has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Maryland, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Washington County, Maryland.
What is the health grade for Washington County, Maryland?
Washington 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 Washington County, Maryland one of the healthiest counties in Maryland?
Washington County ranks 20th 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 Washington County, Maryland?
People in Washington County, Maryland can expect to live 76.1 years on average, 2.3 years shorter than the Maryland average of 78.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Washington County, Maryland?
6.3% of residents in Washington County, Maryland have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the Maryland rate of 6.3%.
What is the obesity rate in Washington County, Maryland?
37.0% of adults in Washington County, Maryland are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.0 points above the Maryland rate of 34.0%.
Which health problem stands out most in Washington County, 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 Washington County, Maryland go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 255,229 cigarettes a day, 7.7 million a month, or 93.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.8 million minutes a day and 1.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 76.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 26 lifetimes a year.
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