Health Profile of Merrick County, Nebraska
Merrick 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
Merrick County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Merrick County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 7.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.4% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Merrick County is 78.8 years, about 0.7 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5 years. The uninsured rate is 5.3%, lower than the Nebraska average of 7.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.4% of residents, lower than the Nebraska average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,199 residents in Merrick County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 211 86 men · 124 women
- 75–84 522 227 men · 295 women
- 65–74 850 433 men · 416 women
- 50–64 1,616 820 men · 797 women
Younger residents
1,675 residents in Merrick County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 529 277 boys · 252 girls
- 7–12 491 242 boys · 249 girls
- 3–7 374 193 boys · 181 girls
- 0–3 281 152 boys · 129 girls
About 512 residents in Merrick County (6.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Merrick County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.2% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.7% | 36.1% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Merrick County are about the same as in Nebraska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Merrick County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.1% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.7% | 19.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.6% | 24.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Merrick County are about the same as in Nebraska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,229 cigarettes a day, 306,877 a month, or 3.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 112,521 minutes a day and 41.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merrick County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.99 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 | Merrick County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.33 | 5.27 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Merrick County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Merrick County, NE Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Merrick County, NE is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 7,724 residents against a local median of 6,534. Nothing separates Merrick County, NE sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 13% below the local median at 5.3% against 6.1%. Merrick County, NE has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrick County, NE | 7,724 | 78.8 yrs #5/6 | 5.3% #1/6 | 34.7% #2/6 |
| Nance County, NE | 3,324 | 76.7 yrs | 6.6% | 36.4% |
| Hamilton County, NE | 9,464 | 80.4 yrs | 6.1% | 37.7% |
| Polk County, NE | 5,225 | 79.9 yrs | 5.5% | 34.0% |
| Howard County, NE | 6,534 | 83.9 yrs | 6.8% | 36.1% |
| York County, NE | 14,286 | 79.5 yrs | 5.4% | 37.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Merrick County, Nebraska has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Nebraska, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Merrick County, Nebraska.
What is the health grade for Merrick County, Nebraska?
Merrick County, Nebraska 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 Merrick County, Nebraska one of the healthiest counties in Nebraska?
Merrick County ranks 43rd healthiest out of 84 counties in Nebraska by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Merrick County, Nebraska?
People in Merrick County, Nebraska can expect to live 78.8 years on average, 0.7 years shorter than the Nebraska average of 79.5.
How many people lack health insurance in Merrick County, Nebraska?
5.3% of residents in Merrick County, Nebraska have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 1.8 points below the Nebraska rate of 7.2%.
What percentage of Merrick County, Nebraska residents are obese?
34.7% of adults in Merrick County, Nebraska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.5 points below the Nebraska rate of 36.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Merrick County, Nebraska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 10,229 cigarettes a day, 306,877 a month, or 3.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 112,521 minutes a day and 41.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merrick County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.99 lifetimes a year.
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