Health Profile of Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw 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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A
Washtenaw County Above averageHealthiest county in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Washtenaw County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.3% | 4.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Washtenaw County is 79.6 years, about 1.3 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 11.1% of residents, lower than the Michigan average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
112,067 residents in Washtenaw County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 5,760 2,127 men · 3,633 women
- 75–84 14,416 6,233 men · 8,182 women
- 65–74 29,533 13,866 men · 15,667 women
- 50–64 62,358 30,791 men · 31,567 women
Younger residents
64,637 residents in Washtenaw County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 21,202 10,715 boys · 10,487 girls
- 7–12 18,982 9,742 boys · 9,240 girls
- 3–7 14,028 7,244 boys · 6,784 girls
- 0–3 10,424 5,315 boys · 5,109 girls
About 12,489 residents in Washtenaw County (3.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Washtenaw County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.3% | 12.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.5% | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.4% | 37.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Washtenaw County is about 41% lower than in Michigan. The rate of diabetes in Washtenaw County is about 32% lower than in Michigan. The rate of cancer in Washtenaw County is about 27% lower than in Michigan.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Washtenaw County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.0% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.4% | 18.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.4% | 22.6% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Washtenaw County is about 33% lower than in Michigan. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Washtenaw County is about 28% lower than in Michigan.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 424,487 cigarettes a day, 12.7 million a month, or 154.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.7 million minutes a day and 1.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washtenaw County is 79.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 41 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 | Washtenaw County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.41 | 5.89 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Washtenaw County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Washtenaw County, MI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Washtenaw County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 369,612 residents against a local median of 160,066. Where Washtenaw County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 32% below the local median of 4.9% at 3.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 30.4% against a local median of 40.1%, 24% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Washtenaw County, MI is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 2.9% on uninsured, so Washtenaw County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washtenaw County, MI has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washtenaw County, MI | 369,612 | 79.6 yrs #1/6 | 3.3% #2/6 | 30.4% #1/6 |
| Livingston County, MI | 195,818 | 79.3 yrs | 2.7% | 34.6% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 98,415 | 77.9 yrs | 5.0% | 41.0% |
| Monroe County, MI | 155,488 | 77.1 yrs | 3.4% | 39.8% |
| Wayne County, MI | 1,771,784 | 74.6 yrs | 5.6% | 40.7% |
| Jackson County, MI | 160,066 | 77.1 yrs | 4.9% | 40.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Is Washtenaw County, Michigan a healthy place to live?
Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County, Michigan one of the healthiest counties in Michigan?
Yes. Washtenaw County ranks 1st of 83 counties in Michigan by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
How long do people live in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
People in Washtenaw County, Michigan can expect to live 79.6 years on average, 1.3 years longer than the Michigan average of 78.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
3.3% of residents in Washtenaw County, Michigan have no health insurance, about 1 in 30 people, 1.6 points below the Michigan rate of 4.9%.
What percentage of Washtenaw County, Michigan residents are obese?
30.4% of adults in Washtenaw County, Michigan are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 7.3 points below the Michigan rate of 37.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Washtenaw County, Michigan go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 424,487 cigarettes a day, 12.7 million a month, or 154.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 4.7 million minutes a day and 1.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washtenaw County is 79.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.11 lifetimes a day, or 41 lifetimes a year.
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