Health Profile of Houghton County, Michigan
Houghton 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
Houghton County Around averageHealthier than 76% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.1% | 4.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Houghton County is 78.8 years, about 0.4 years longer than the Michigan average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 5.1%, higher than the Michigan average of 4.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.2% of residents, lower than the Michigan average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
11,216 residents in Houghton County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 675 255 men · 420 women
- 75–84 1,700 770 men · 930 women
- 65–74 3,266 1,671 men · 1,595 women
- 50–64 5,574 2,835 men · 2,739 women
Younger residents
6,693 residents in Houghton County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,173 1,114 boys · 1,058 girls
- 7–12 1,955 1,029 boys · 926 girls
- 3–7 1,471 786 boys · 685 girls
- 0–3 1,094 585 boys · 509 girls
About 1,552 residents in Houghton County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.8% | 12.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.2% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.9% | 37.7% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Houghton County are about the same as in Michigan.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.6% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.1% | 18.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.2% | 22.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Houghton County are about the same as in Michigan.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 53,179 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 584,966 minutes a day and 213.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houghton County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.16 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 | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.15 | 5.89 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Houghton County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Houghton County, MI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Houghton County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 34,105 residents against a local median of 8,191. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Houghton County, MI an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 11% below the local median at 32.9% against 36.9%. Houghton County, MI has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton County, MI | 34,105 | 78.8 yrs #5/6 | 5.1% #4/6 | 32.9% #1/6 |
| Baraga County, MI | 8,191 | 76.2 yrs | 3.8% | 41.6% |
| Ontonagon County, MI | 5,848 | 80.6 yrs | 5.5% | 39.2% |
| Iron County, MI | 11,667 | 81.4 yrs | 5.0% | 35.2% |
| Keweenaw County, MI | 2,133 | 82.7 yrs | 8.7% | 36.9% |
| Marquette County, MI | 66,775 | 78.9 yrs | 3.4% | 33.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Houghton County, Michigan has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Michigan, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Houghton County, Michigan.
What is the health grade for Houghton County, Michigan?
Houghton County, Michigan 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 Houghton County, Michigan one of the healthiest counties in Michigan?
Houghton County ranks 21st healthiest out of 83 counties in Michigan by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Houghton County, Michigan?
People in Houghton County, Michigan can expect to live 78.8 years on average, about the same as the Michigan average of 78.3.
What percentage of Houghton County, Michigan residents are uninsured?
5.1% of residents in Houghton County, Michigan have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, about the same as the Michigan rate of 4.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Houghton County, Michigan?
32.9% of adults in Houghton County, Michigan are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.8 points below the Michigan rate of 37.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Houghton County, Michigan go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 53,179 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 584,966 minutes a day and 213.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Houghton County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.16 lifetimes a year.
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