Health Profile of Ottawa County, Michigan
Ottawa 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.
-
A
Ottawa County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.0 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.3% | 4.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.4% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Ottawa County is 81.0 years, about 2.6 years longer than the Michigan average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 3.3%, lower than the Michigan average of 4.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.4% of residents, lower than the Michigan average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
96,877 residents in Ottawa County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 6,107 2,108 men · 3,999 women
- 75–84 13,112 5,865 men · 7,247 women
- 65–74 24,659 11,765 men · 12,894 women
- 50–64 53,000 25,950 men · 27,050 women
Younger residents
67,915 residents in Ottawa County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 21,365 10,899 boys · 10,466 girls
- 7–12 20,945 10,826 boys · 10,120 girls
- 3–7 15,277 7,858 boys · 7,419 girls
- 0–3 10,328 5,258 boys · 5,070 girls
About 10,635 residents in Ottawa County (3.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.9% | 12.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.4% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.8% | 37.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Ottawa County is about 30% lower than in Michigan. The rate of diabetes in Ottawa County is about 26% lower than in Michigan. The rate of obesity in Ottawa County is about 16% lower than in Michigan.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.3% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.1% | 18.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.9% | 22.6% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Ottawa County is about 25% lower than in Michigan. The rate of smoking in Ottawa County is about 22% lower than in Michigan.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 378,612 cigarettes a day, 11.4 million a month, or 138.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.2 million minutes a day and 1.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ottawa County is 81.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 36 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 | Ottawa County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.32 | 5.89 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Ottawa County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Ottawa County, MI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Ottawa County, MI is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 301,203 residents against a local median of 75,795. Where Ottawa County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 48% below the local median of 6.2% at 3.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 31.8% against a local median of 40.2%, 21% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Ottawa County, MI is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 3.0% on uninsured, so Ottawa County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ottawa County, MI has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, MI | 301,203 | 81.0 yrs #1/6 | 3.3% #1/6 | 31.8% #1/6 |
| Muskegon County, MI | 175,961 | 77.0 yrs | 4.5% | 40.2% |
| Allegan County, MI | 121,456 | 79.6 yrs | 4.8% | 35.9% |
| Van Buren County, MI | 75,795 | 78.3 yrs | 7.0% | 40.6% |
| Oceana County, MI | 26,915 | 79.2 yrs | 7.5% | 37.5% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 50,792 | 78.1 yrs | 6.2% | 40.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ottawa County, Michigan has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than Michigan, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Ottawa County, Michigan.
What is the health grade for Ottawa County, Michigan?
Ottawa County, Michigan has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Ottawa County, Michigan one of the healthiest counties in Michigan?
Ottawa County ranks 2nd 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 Ottawa County, Michigan?
People in Ottawa County, Michigan can expect to live 81.0 years on average, 2.6 years longer than the Michigan average of 78.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Ottawa County, Michigan?
3.3% of residents in Ottawa County, Michigan have no health insurance, about 1 in 31 people, 1.7 points below the Michigan rate of 4.9%.
What percentage of Ottawa County, Michigan residents are obese?
31.8% of adults in Ottawa County, Michigan are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.9 points below the Michigan rate of 37.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Ottawa County, Michigan go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 378,612 cigarettes a day, 11.4 million a month, or 138.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.2 million minutes a day and 1.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ottawa County is 81.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.10 lifetimes a day, or 36 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 →