Health Profile of Belknap County, New Hampshire
Belknap 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
Belknap County Around averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in New Hampshire
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Belknap County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 80.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.9% | 5.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.5% | 12.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Belknap County is about the same as in New Hampshire, at 80.2 years. The uninsured rate is 5.9%, higher than the New Hampshire average of 5.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.5% of residents, lower than the New Hampshire average of 12.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
29,243 residents in Belknap County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,772 758 men · 1,014 women
- 75–84 3,678 1,625 men · 2,053 women
- 65–74 7,949 3,974 men · 3,975 women
- 50–64 15,844 7,787 men · 8,058 women
Younger residents
11,231 residents in Belknap County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,032 2,081 boys · 1,951 girls
- 7–12 3,392 1,734 boys · 1,659 girls
- 3–7 2,220 1,104 boys · 1,117 girls
- 0–3 1,586 787 boys · 799 girls
About 3,179 residents in Belknap County (4.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Belknap County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.6% | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.6% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.7% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.3% | 31.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Belknap County are about the same as in New Hampshire.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Belknap County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.2% | 16.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.4% | 17.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.7% | 20.1% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Belknap County are about the same as in New Hampshire.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 86,818 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 954,999 minutes a day and 348.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Belknap County is 80.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.27 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 | Belknap County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.44 | 4.69 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Belknap County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Belknap County, NH Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Belknap County, NH is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 64,647 residents against a local median of 132,534. Belknap County, NH's obesity, at 34.3%, runs 18% above the 29.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.1% on obesity, so Belknap County, NH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Belknap County, NH has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap County, NH | 64,647 | 80.2 yrs #4/6 | 5.9% #5/6 | 34.3% #6/6 |
| Merrimack County, NH | 155,964 | 79.5 yrs | 5.1% | 28.9% |
| Carroll County, NH | 51,798 | 82.5 yrs | 6.8% | 29.1% |
| Strafford County, NH | 132,534 | 79.5 yrs | 5.2% | 28.8% |
| Grafton County, NH | 92,112 | 81.7 yrs | 5.4% | 31.9% |
| Rockingham County, NH | 319,036 | 80.6 yrs | 4.1% | 29.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Belknap County, New Hampshire has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than New Hampshire, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Belknap County, New Hampshire.
How healthy is Belknap County, New Hampshire?
Belknap County, New Hampshire 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 Belknap County, New Hampshire one of the healthiest counties in New Hampshire?
Belknap County ranks 8th healthiest out of 10 counties in New Hampshire by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Belknap County, New Hampshire?
People in Belknap County, New Hampshire can expect to live 80.2 years on average, about the same as the New Hampshire average of 80.2.
What percentage of Belknap County, New Hampshire residents are uninsured?
5.9% of residents in Belknap County, New Hampshire have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 0.6 points above the New Hampshire rate of 5.3%.
What percentage of Belknap County, New Hampshire residents are obese?
34.3% of adults in Belknap County, New Hampshire are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.0 points above the New Hampshire rate of 31.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Belknap County, New Hampshire go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 86,818 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 954,999 minutes a day and 348.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Belknap County is 80.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.27 lifetimes a year.
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