Health Profile of Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset 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
Somerset County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in New Jersey
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.4% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 9.5% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Somerset County is 81.8 years, about 2.4 years longer than the New Jersey average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 5.4%, lower than the New Jersey average of 7.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 9.5% of residents, lower than the New Jersey average of 12.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
130,538 residents in Somerset County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 7,835 2,643 men · 5,192 women
- 75–84 16,407 6,749 men · 9,658 women
- 65–74 29,685 13,847 men · 15,837 women
- 50–64 76,612 37,703 men · 38,909 women
Younger residents
70,935 residents in Somerset County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 23,577 12,019 boys · 11,557 girls
- 7–12 21,241 10,954 boys · 10,287 girls
- 3–7 15,336 7,977 boys · 7,359 girls
- 0–3 10,782 5,538 boys · 5,244 girls
About 12,509 residents in Somerset County (3.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.8% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.0% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 25.5% | 28.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Somerset County is about 19% lower than in New Jersey.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.4% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.6% | 17.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.3% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Somerset County is about 27% lower than in New Jersey. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Somerset County is about 25% lower than in New Jersey.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 286,848 cigarettes a day, 8.6 million a month, or 104.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.2 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Somerset County is 81.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 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 | Somerset County | New Jersey Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.66 | 6.82 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Somerset County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Somerset County, NJ Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Somerset County, NJ is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 349,714 residents against a local median of 514,287. Where Somerset County, NJ breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 25% below the local median of 7.2% at 5.4%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 10.2% on uninsured, so Somerset County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Somerset County, NJ has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, NJ | 349,714 | 81.8 yrs #3/6 | 5.4% #3/6 | 25.5% #3/6 |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 870,701 | 80.7 yrs | 7.2% | 23.7% |
| Mercer County, NJ | 385,681 | 78.9 yrs | 7.9% | 30.9% |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | 130,145 | 82.6 yrs | 2.8% | 25.6% |
| Morris County, NJ | 514,287 | 82.0 yrs | 4.7% | 20.8% |
| Union County, NJ | 578,268 | 80.2 yrs | 13.0% | 30.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Somerset County, New Jersey has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than New Jersey, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Somerset County, New Jersey.
How healthy is Somerset County, New Jersey?
Somerset County, New Jersey 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 Somerset County, New Jersey one of the healthiest counties in New Jersey?
Somerset County ranks 3rd 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 Somerset County, New Jersey?
People in Somerset County, New Jersey can expect to live 81.8 years on average, 2.4 years longer than the New Jersey average of 79.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Somerset County, New Jersey?
5.4% of residents in Somerset County, New Jersey have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 2.1 points below the New Jersey rate of 7.5%.
How common is obesity in Somerset County, New Jersey?
25.5% of adults in Somerset County, New Jersey are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 3.4 points below the New Jersey rate of 28.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Somerset County, New Jersey go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 286,848 cigarettes a day, 8.6 million a month, or 104.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.2 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Somerset County is 81.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 27 lifetimes a year.
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