Health Profile of Washington County, Maine
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.
-
C
Washington County Below averageLeast healthy county in Maine
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Washington County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 78.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.1% | 6.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.7% | 13.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Washington County is 76.3 years, about 1.9 years shorter than the Maine average of 78.2 years. The uninsured rate is 9.1%, higher than the Maine average of 6.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.7% of residents, higher than the Maine average of 13.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
14,732 residents in Washington County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 812 229 men · 582 women
- 75–84 2,279 1,091 men · 1,188 women
- 65–74 4,525 2,225 men · 2,300 women
- 50–64 7,116 3,508 men · 3,608 women
Younger residents
5,482 residents in Washington County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,802 890 boys · 911 girls
- 7–12 1,602 817 boys · 784 girls
- 3–7 1,197 638 boys · 559 girls
- 0–3 881 478 boys · 403 girls
About 2,730 residents in Washington County (8.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.3 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 | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.9% | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.1% | 7.6% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.4% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.6% | 32.2% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Washington County is about 24% higher than in Maine. The rate of diabetes in Washington County is about 18% higher than in Maine.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Washington County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.3% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.7% | 15.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.8% | 22.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Washington County is about 18% higher than in Maine.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 56,815 cigarettes a day, 1.7 million a month, or 20.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 624,964 minutes a day and 228.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 5.68 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 | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.42 | 4.43 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Washington County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Washington County, ME Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, ME is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 31,330 residents against a local median of 41,003. Nothing separates Washington County, ME sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 12% above the local median at 35.6% against 31.7%. Washington County, ME has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, ME | 31,330 | 76.3 yrs #6/6 | 9.1% #3/6 | 35.6% #6/6 |
| Hancock County, ME | 56,460 | 79.9 yrs | 9.6% | 29.8% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 154,700 | 77.1 yrs | 6.3% | 34.8% |
| Waldo County, ME | 40,192 | 78.9 yrs | 9.2% | 31.7% |
| Knox County, ME | 41,003 | 78.9 yrs | 5.6% | 30.2% |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 17,263 | 76.6 yrs | 10.1% | 34.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Washington County, Maine has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Maine, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Washington County, Maine.
What is the health grade for Washington County, Maine?
Washington County, Maine 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 Washington County, Maine one of the healthiest counties in Maine?
No. Washington County ranks last of 16 counties in Maine 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, Maine?
People in Washington County, Maine can expect to live 76.3 years on average, 1.9 years shorter than the Maine average of 78.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Washington County, Maine?
9.1% of residents in Washington County, Maine have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 2.9 points above the Maine rate of 6.2%.
What percentage of Washington County, Maine residents are obese?
35.6% of adults in Washington County, Maine are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.4 points above the Maine rate of 32.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Washington County, Maine go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 56,815 cigarettes a day, 1.7 million a month, or 20.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 624,964 minutes a day and 228.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 76.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 5.68 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 →