Health Profile of Mecosta County, Michigan
Mecosta 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
Mecosta County Around averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.8% | 4.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mecosta County is 77.8 years, about 0.5 years shorter than the Michigan average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 7.8%, higher than the Michigan average of 4.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.7% of residents, lower than the Michigan average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
15,640 residents in Mecosta County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 653 235 men · 418 women
- 75–84 2,395 1,097 men · 1,299 women
- 65–74 4,630 2,220 men · 2,410 women
- 50–64 7,962 4,000 men · 3,962 women
Younger residents
7,384 residents in Mecosta County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,238 1,123 boys · 1,115 girls
- 7–12 2,194 1,081 boys · 1,113 girls
- 3–7 1,714 846 boys · 869 girls
- 0–3 1,239 628 boys · 611 girls
About 2,220 residents in Mecosta County (5.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.5% | 12.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.9% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.3% | 37.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Mecosta County is about 15% lower than in Michigan.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.6% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.4% | 18.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.2% | 22.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mecosta County are about the same as in Michigan.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 68,704 cigarettes a day, 2.1 million a month, or 25.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 755,740 minutes a day and 275.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mecosta County is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.75 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 | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.98 | 5.89 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mecosta County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mecosta County, MI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mecosta County, MI is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 41,242 residents against a local median of 50,792. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Mecosta County, MI an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 13% below the local median at 35.3% against 40.3%. Mecosta County, MI has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecosta County, MI | 41,242 | 77.8 yrs #5/6 | 7.8% #3/6 | 35.3% #2/6 |
| Osceola County, MI | 23,226 | 78.3 yrs | 9.3% | 38.6% |
| Montcalm County, MI | 67,816 | 78.7 yrs | 8.9% | 40.4% |
| Isabella County, MI | 64,565 | 78.4 yrs | 7.8% | 33.9% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 50,792 | 78.1 yrs | 6.2% | 40.3% |
| Clare County, MI | 31,218 | 75.2 yrs | 10.2% | 40.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mecosta 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 Mecosta County, Michigan.
Is Mecosta County, Michigan a healthy place to live?
Mecosta 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 Mecosta County, Michigan one of the healthiest counties in Michigan?
Mecosta County ranks 26th 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 average lifespan in Mecosta County, Michigan?
People in Mecosta County, Michigan can expect to live 77.8 years on average, 0.5 years shorter than the Michigan average of 78.3.
What percentage of Mecosta County, Michigan residents are uninsured?
7.8% of residents in Mecosta County, Michigan have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 2.9 points above the Michigan rate of 4.9%.
How common is obesity in Mecosta County, Michigan?
35.3% of adults in Mecosta County, Michigan are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.4 points below the Michigan rate of 37.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mecosta County, Michigan go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 68,704 cigarettes a day, 2.1 million a month, or 25.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 755,740 minutes a day and 275.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mecosta County is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.75 lifetimes a year.
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