Health Profile of Essex County, New Jersey
Essex 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
Essex County Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in New Jersey
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Essex County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.9% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.3% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Essex County is 78.1 years, about 1.3 years shorter than the New Jersey average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 11.9%, higher than the New Jersey average of 7.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.3% of residents, higher than the New Jersey average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
271,901 residents in Essex County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 14,872 5,171 men · 9,701 women
- 75–84 33,598 13,229 men · 20,368 women
- 65–74 63,615 27,997 men · 35,617 women
- 50–64 159,817 76,769 men · 83,048 women
Younger residents
197,081 residents in Essex County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 59,971 30,222 boys · 29,749 girls
- 7–12 58,565 30,306 boys · 28,259 girls
- 3–7 45,148 23,531 boys · 21,617 girls
- 0–3 33,396 17,084 boys · 16,312 girls
About 36,172 residents in Essex County (4.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Essex County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.4% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.1% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.8% | 28.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Essex County is about 19% lower than in New Jersey. The rate of diabetes in Essex County is about 18% higher than in New Jersey.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Essex County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.5% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 17.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.3% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Essex County is about 25% higher than in New Jersey. The rate of smoking in Essex County is about 16% higher than in New Jersey.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.7 million a month, or 397.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.0 million minutes a day and 4.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Essex County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.29 lifetimes a day, or 106 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 | Essex County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.36 | 6.82 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Essex County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Essex County, NJ Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Essex County, NJ is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 861,155 residents against a local median of 578,268. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Essex County, NJ an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 5% above the local median at 11.9% against 11.3%. Essex County, NJ has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, NJ | 861,155 | 78.1 yrs #6/6 | 11.9% #4/6 | 30.8% #5/6 |
| Union County, NJ | 578,268 | 80.2 yrs | 13.0% | 30.3% |
| Hudson County, NJ | 717,070 | 79.8 yrs | 11.3% | 26.5% |
| Bergen County, NJ | 960,507 | 82.3 yrs | 6.1% | 23.4% |
| Richmond County, NY | 494,794 | 79.6 yrs | 4.1% | 30.0% |
| Passaic County, NJ | 520,457 | 79.3 yrs | 12.0% | 30.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Essex County, New Jersey has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with New Jersey, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Essex County, New Jersey.
What is the health grade for Essex County, New Jersey?
Essex County, New Jersey 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 Essex County, New Jersey one of the healthiest counties in New Jersey?
Essex County ranks 17th healthiest out of 21 counties in New Jersey by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Essex County, New Jersey?
People in Essex County, New Jersey can expect to live 78.1 years on average, 1.3 years shorter than the New Jersey average of 79.4.
What percentage of Essex County, New Jersey residents are uninsured?
11.9% of residents in Essex County, New Jersey have no health insurance, about 1 in 8 people, 4.4 points above the New Jersey rate of 7.5%.
What is the obesity rate in Essex County, New Jersey?
30.8% of adults in Essex County, New Jersey are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.8 points above the New Jersey rate of 28.9%.
What health issue is more common in Essex County, New Jersey than elsewhere?
Compared with New Jersey as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 27.3%, about 25% higher than the New Jersey rate of 21.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Essex County, New Jersey go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.7 million a month, or 397.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.0 million minutes a day and 4.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Essex County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.29 lifetimes a day, or 106 lifetimes a year.
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