Health Profile of Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Merrimack 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
Merrimack County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in New Hampshire
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 80.2 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.1% | 5.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.4% | 12.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Merrimack County is 79.5 years, about 0.7 years shorter than the New Hampshire average of 80.2 years. The uninsured rate is 5.1%, lower than the New Hampshire average of 5.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.4% of residents, lower than the New Hampshire average of 12.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
60,689 residents in Merrimack County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,136 1,037 men · 2,099 women
- 75–84 7,919 3,402 men · 4,518 women
- 65–74 15,933 7,592 men · 8,341 women
- 50–64 33,701 16,679 men · 17,022 women
Younger residents
27,969 residents in Merrimack County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 8,951 4,601 boys · 4,350 girls
- 7–12 8,418 4,237 boys · 4,181 girls
- 3–7 6,231 3,148 boys · 3,083 girls
- 0–3 4,369 2,280 boys · 2,089 girls
About 6,738 residents in Merrimack County (4.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.8% | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 7.1% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.3% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.9% | 31.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Merrimack County are about the same as in New Hampshire.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.4% | 16.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.2% | 17.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.4% | 20.1% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Merrimack County are about the same as in New Hampshire.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 195,487 cigarettes a day, 5.9 million a month, or 71.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.2 million minutes a day and 784.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merrimack County is 79.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 19 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 | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.62 | 4.69 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Merrimack County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Merrimack County, NH Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Merrimack County, NH is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 155,964 residents against a local median of 92,112. Merrimack County, NH sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 10% below the local median at 28.9% against 31.9%. Merrimack County, NH has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack County, NH | 155,964 | 79.5 yrs #5/6 | 5.1% #1/6 | 28.9% #2/6 |
| Belknap County, NH | 64,647 | 80.2 yrs | 5.9% | 34.3% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | 79.1 yrs | 5.5% | 30.3% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 43,677 | 80.0 yrs | 6.0% | 33.7% |
| Strafford County, NH | 132,534 | 79.5 yrs | 5.2% | 28.8% |
| Grafton County, NH | 92,112 | 81.7 yrs | 5.4% | 31.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Merrimack County, New Hampshire has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than New Hampshire, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Merrimack County, New Hampshire.
What is the health grade for Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
Merrimack County, New Hampshire 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 Merrimack County, New Hampshire one of the healthiest counties in New Hampshire?
Merrimack County ranks 2nd 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.
What is the average lifespan in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
People in Merrimack County, New Hampshire can expect to live 79.5 years on average, 0.7 years shorter than the New Hampshire average of 80.2.
What is the uninsured rate in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
5.1% of residents in Merrimack County, New Hampshire have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, about the same as the New Hampshire rate of 5.3%.
What is the obesity rate in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
28.9% of adults in Merrimack County, New Hampshire are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.4 points below the New Hampshire rate of 31.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Merrimack County, New Hampshire go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 195,487 cigarettes a day, 5.9 million a month, or 71.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.2 million minutes a day and 784.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Merrimack County is 79.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 19 lifetimes a year.
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