Health Profile of Penobscot County, Maine
Penobscot 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
Penobscot County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 78.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.3% | 6.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.2% | 13.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Penobscot County is 77.1 years, about 1.1 years shorter than the Maine average of 78.2 years. The uninsured rate is 6.3%, higher than the Maine average of 6.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.2% of residents, higher than the Maine average of 13.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
61,627 residents in Penobscot County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,543 1,213 men · 2,330 women
- 75–84 8,217 3,632 men · 4,585 women
- 65–74 16,347 7,820 men · 8,527 women
- 50–64 33,519 16,585 men · 16,934 women
Younger residents
26,500 residents in Penobscot County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 8,324 4,349 boys · 3,975 girls
- 7–12 8,046 3,974 boys · 4,072 girls
- 3–7 6,023 2,945 boys · 3,078 girls
- 0–3 4,107 2,099 boys · 2,008 girls
About 9,557 residents in Penobscot County (6.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.0% | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.8% | 32.2% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Penobscot County are about the same as in Maine.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.9% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.0% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.9% | 22.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Penobscot County are about the same as in Maine.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 265,851 cigarettes a day, 8.0 million a month, or 97.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.9 million minutes a day and 1.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Penobscot County is 77.1 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 | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.84 | 4.43 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Penobscot County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Penobscot County, ME Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Penobscot County, ME is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 154,700 residents against a local median of 40,192. Where Penobscot County, ME breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 31% below the local median of 9.2% at 6.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.1% on uninsured, so Penobscot County, ME sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Penobscot County, ME has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot County, ME | 154,700 | 77.1 yrs #4/6 | 6.3% #1/6 | 34.8% #4/6 |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 17,263 | 76.6 yrs | 10.1% | 34.2% |
| Hancock County, ME | 56,460 | 79.9 yrs | 9.6% | 29.8% |
| Waldo County, ME | 40,192 | 78.9 yrs | 9.2% | 31.7% |
| Washington County, ME | 31,330 | 76.3 yrs | 9.1% | 35.6% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 67,056 | 77.8 yrs | 8.0% | 36.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Penobscot County, Maine has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Maine, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Penobscot County, Maine.
Is Penobscot County, Maine a healthy place to live?
Penobscot County, Maine 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 Penobscot County, Maine one of the healthiest counties in Maine?
Penobscot County ranks 11th healthiest out of 16 counties in Maine by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Penobscot County, Maine?
People in Penobscot County, Maine can expect to live 77.1 years on average, 1.1 years shorter than the Maine average of 78.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Penobscot County, Maine?
6.3% of residents in Penobscot County, Maine have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the Maine rate of 6.2%.
What percentage of Penobscot County, Maine residents are obese?
34.8% of adults in Penobscot County, Maine are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.5 points above the Maine rate of 32.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Penobscot County, Maine go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 265,851 cigarettes a day, 8.0 million a month, or 97.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.9 million minutes a day and 1.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Penobscot County is 77.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 26 lifetimes a year.
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