Health Profile of Washington County, Minnesota
Washington 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
Washington County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.5% | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 9.0% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Washington County is 81.8 years, about 1.1 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8 years. The uninsured rate is 3.5%, lower than the Minnesota average of 4.7%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 9.0% of residents, lower than the Minnesota average of 13.0%.
Population by Age
Older residents
94,290 residents in Washington County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,372 1,483 men · 2,889 women
- 75–84 11,104 4,993 men · 6,111 women
- 65–74 22,659 10,877 men · 11,781 women
- 50–64 56,155 27,728 men · 28,427 women
Younger residents
65,573 residents in Washington County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 21,064 10,955 boys · 10,109 girls
- 7–12 20,195 10,232 boys · 9,964 girls
- 3–7 14,508 7,255 boys · 7,253 girls
- 0–3 9,805 4,993 boys · 4,813 girls
About 7,326 residents in Washington County (2.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.0% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.1% | 7.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.7% | 7.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.8% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Washington County is about 33% lower than in Minnesota. The rate of diabetes in Washington County is about 20% lower than in Minnesota. The rate of cancer in Washington County is about 17% lower than in Minnesota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.4% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.2% | 19.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.4% | 22.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Washington County is about 26% lower than in Minnesota. The rate of smoking in Washington County is about 22% lower than in Minnesota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 301,524 cigarettes a day, 9.0 million a month, or 110.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.3 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 81.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 28 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 | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.43 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Washington County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Washington County, MN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, MN is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 276,224 residents against a local median of 370,272. The measure that sets Washington County, MN apart most is uninsured: 3.5%, 18% below the local median of 4.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.5% on uninsured, so Washington County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, MN has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MN | 276,224 | 81.8 yrs #1/6 | 3.5% #1/6 | 30.8% #1/6 |
| Ramsey County, MN | 542,690 | 79.5 yrs | 5.5% | 31.1% |
| Dakota County, MN | 445,396 | 80.7 yrs | 4.2% | 33.1% |
| St. Croix County, WI | 96,041 | 79.7 yrs | 4.1% | 34.3% |
| Anoka County, MN | 370,272 | 80.1 yrs | 4.6% | 32.9% |
| Chisago County, MN | 57,989 | 80.3 yrs | 4.3% | 35.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Washington County, Minnesota has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Minnesota, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Washington County, Minnesota.
How healthy is Washington County, Minnesota?
Washington County, Minnesota 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 Washington County, Minnesota one of the healthiest counties in Minnesota?
Washington County ranks 2nd 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.
What is the life expectancy in Washington County, Minnesota?
People in Washington County, Minnesota can expect to live 81.8 years on average, 1.1 years longer than the Minnesota average of 80.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Washington County, Minnesota?
3.5% of residents in Washington County, Minnesota have no health insurance, about 1 in 28 people, 1.2 points below the Minnesota rate of 4.7%.
What is the obesity rate in Washington County, Minnesota?
30.8% of adults in Washington County, Minnesota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.7 points below the Minnesota rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Washington County, Minnesota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 301,524 cigarettes a day, 9.0 million a month, or 110.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.3 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 81.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 28 lifetimes a year.
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