Health Profile of Erie County, New York
Erie 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
Erie County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Erie County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.9% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Erie County is 77.7 years, about 2.6 years shorter than the New York average of 80.3 years. The uninsured rate is 2.9%, lower than the New York average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.6% of residents, higher than the New York average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
361,953 residents in Erie County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 22,906 7,698 men · 15,208 women
- 75–84 51,818 20,890 men · 30,928 women
- 65–74 94,563 43,400 men · 51,163 women
- 50–64 192,667 92,884 men · 99,783 women
Younger residents
185,859 residents in Erie County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 54,891 28,747 boys · 26,144 girls
- 7–12 56,344 28,696 boys · 27,648 girls
- 3–7 43,876 22,042 boys · 21,834 girls
- 0–3 30,748 15,745 boys · 15,003 girls
About 58,167 residents in Erie County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Erie County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.4% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.3% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 29.6% | 30.2% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Erie County are about the same as in New York.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Erie County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.6% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.2% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.6% | 24.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Erie County are about the same as in New York.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 37.7 million a month, or 458.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.8 million minutes a day and 5.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Erie County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.34 lifetimes a day, or 123 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 | Erie County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.61 | 6.02 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Erie County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Erie County, NY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Erie County, NY is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 948,176 residents against a local median of 76,141. Erie County, NY's uninsured, at 2.9%, runs 22% below the 3.7% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.2% on uninsured, so Erie County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Erie County, NY has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County, NY | 948,176 | 77.7 yrs #5/6 | 2.9% #1/6 | 29.6% #2/6 |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 76,141 | 79.4 yrs | 6.1% | 32.3% |
| Wyoming County, NY | 39,775 | 79.4 yrs | 3.6% | 31.8% |
| Niagara County, NY | 210,721 | 77.1 yrs | 2.9% | 31.6% |
| Genesee County, NY | 57,790 | 79.8 yrs | 3.7% | 29.3% |
| Chautauqua County, NY | 125,543 | 78.9 yrs | 5.3% | 33.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Erie County, New York has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than New York, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Erie County, New York.
Is Erie County, New York a healthy place to live?
Erie County, New York 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 Erie County, New York one of the healthiest counties in New York?
Erie County ranks 40th healthiest out of 62 counties in New York by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Erie County, New York?
People in Erie County, New York can expect to live 77.7 years on average, 2.6 years shorter than the New York average of 80.3.
What percentage of Erie County, New York residents are uninsured?
2.9% of residents in Erie County, New York have no health insurance, about 1 in 34 people, 2.1 points below the New York rate of 5.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Erie County, New York?
29.6% of adults in Erie County, New York are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.6 points below the New York rate of 30.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Erie County, New York go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 37.7 million a month, or 458.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.8 million minutes a day and 5.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Erie County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.34 lifetimes a day, or 123 lifetimes a year.
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