Health Profile of Mercer County, New Jersey
Mercer 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
Mercer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.9% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.2% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 78.9 years, about 0.5 years shorter than the New Jersey average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 7.9%, higher than the New Jersey average of 7.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.2% of residents, higher than the New Jersey average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
132,888 residents in Mercer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 7,339 2,504 men · 4,836 women
- 75–84 18,061 7,607 men · 10,454 women
- 65–74 32,155 14,723 men · 17,432 women
- 50–64 75,333 36,730 men · 38,603 women
Younger residents
81,195 residents in Mercer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 25,755 13,028 boys · 12,727 girls
- 7–12 24,103 12,699 boys · 11,403 girls
- 3–7 18,053 9,648 boys · 8,405 girls
- 0–3 13,284 6,891 boys · 6,393 girls
About 17,573 residents in Mercer County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mercer County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.2% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.7% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.9% | 28.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mercer County are about the same as in New Jersey.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mercer County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.3% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.4% | 17.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 22.7% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mercer County are about the same as in New Jersey.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 459,335 cigarettes a day, 13.8 million a month, or 167.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.1 million minutes a day and 1.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.12 lifetimes a day, or 44 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 | Mercer County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.80 | 6.82 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mercer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mercer County, NJ Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, NJ is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 385,681 residents against a local median of 467,571. Where Mercer County, NJ breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 100% above the local median of 3.9% at 7.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 30.9% against a local median of 25.6%, 21% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Mercer County, NJ reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 4.4% on uninsured, so Mercer County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, NJ has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, NJ | 385,681 | 78.9 yrs #5/6 | 7.9% #6/6 | 30.9% #6/6 |
| Somerset County, NJ | 349,714 | 81.8 yrs | 5.4% | 25.5% |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 870,701 | 80.7 yrs | 7.2% | 23.7% |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | 130,145 | 82.6 yrs | 2.8% | 25.6% |
| Burlington County, NJ | 467,571 | 78.8 yrs | 3.9% | 30.8% |
| Bucks County, PA | 647,283 | 79.6 yrs | 3.9% | 26.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mercer County, New Jersey has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than New Jersey, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Mercer County, New Jersey.
How healthy is Mercer County, New Jersey?
Mercer 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 Mercer County, New Jersey one of the healthiest counties in New Jersey?
Mercer County ranks 12th 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 Mercer County, New Jersey?
People in Mercer County, New Jersey can expect to live 78.9 years on average, 0.5 years shorter than the New Jersey average of 79.4.
How many people lack health insurance in Mercer County, New Jersey?
7.9% of residents in Mercer County, New Jersey have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, about the same as the New Jersey rate of 7.5%.
What is the obesity rate in Mercer County, New Jersey?
30.9% of adults in Mercer County, New Jersey are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.0 points above the New Jersey rate of 28.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mercer County, New Jersey go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 459,335 cigarettes a day, 13.8 million a month, or 167.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.1 million minutes a day and 1.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.12 lifetimes a day, or 44 lifetimes a year.
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