Health Profile of Waseca County, Minnesota
Waseca 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
Waseca County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Waseca County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.6% | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.0% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Waseca County is 81.1 years, about 0.3 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8 years. The uninsured rate is 3.6%, lower than the Minnesota average of 4.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by about the same share of residents as in Minnesota, at 13.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,993 residents in Waseca County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 431 162 men · 269 women
- 75–84 1,046 468 men · 578 women
- 65–74 1,814 881 men · 933 women
- 50–64 3,703 1,839 men · 1,863 women
Younger residents
4,031 residents in Waseca County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,307 635 boys · 671 girls
- 7–12 1,198 600 boys · 598 girls
- 3–7 894 454 boys · 440 girls
- 0–3 632 324 boys · 308 girls
About 805 residents in Waseca County (4.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Waseca County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.5% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.1% | 7.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 7.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.6% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Waseca County are about the same as in Minnesota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Waseca County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.7% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.6% | 19.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.5% | 22.2% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Waseca County are about the same as in Minnesota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 28,682 cigarettes a day, 860,460 a month, or 10.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 315,502 minutes a day and 115.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Waseca County is 81.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.70 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 | Waseca County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.01 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Waseca County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Waseca County, MN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Waseca County, MN is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 18,885 residents against a local median of 37,436. Where Waseca County, MN breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 17% below the local median of 4.3% at 3.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.0% on uninsured, so Waseca County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Waseca County, MN has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca County, MN | 18,885 | 81.1 yrs #5/6 | 3.6% #2/6 | 37.6% #6/6 |
| Steele County, MN | 37,436 | 82.6 yrs | 3.5% | 33.7% |
| Le Sueur County, MN | 29,116 | 81.3 yrs | 4.3% | 36.2% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 30,623 | 81.6 yrs | 6.6% | 33.8% |
| Rice County, MN | 67,917 | 81.3 yrs | 5.5% | 32.9% |
| Blue Earth County, MN | 69,837 | 80.4 yrs | 4.3% | 27.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Waseca County, Minnesota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Minnesota, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Waseca County, Minnesota.
Is Waseca County, Minnesota a healthy place to live?
Waseca County, Minnesota 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 Waseca County, Minnesota one of the healthiest counties in Minnesota?
Waseca County ranks 42nd healthiest out of 87 counties in Minnesota by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Waseca County, Minnesota?
People in Waseca County, Minnesota can expect to live 81.1 years on average, about the same as the Minnesota average of 80.8.
What percentage of Waseca County, Minnesota residents are uninsured?
3.6% of residents in Waseca County, Minnesota have no health insurance, about 1 in 28 people, 1.1 points below the Minnesota rate of 4.7%.
How common is obesity in Waseca County, Minnesota?
37.6% of adults in Waseca County, Minnesota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.1 points above the Minnesota rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Waseca County, Minnesota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 28,682 cigarettes a day, 860,460 a month, or 10.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 315,502 minutes a day and 115.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Waseca County is 81.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.70 lifetimes a year.
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