Health Profile of Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer 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
Rensselaer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rensselaer County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.4% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.1% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rensselaer County is 79.1 years, about 1.2 years shorter than the New York average of 80.3 years. The uninsured rate is 3.4%, lower than the New York average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.1% of residents, lower than the New York average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
59,506 residents in Rensselaer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,443 1,126 men · 2,317 women
- 75–84 7,683 3,286 men · 4,397 women
- 65–74 15,409 7,282 men · 8,127 women
- 50–64 32,971 16,167 men · 16,804 women
Younger residents
29,344 residents in Rensselaer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 9,414 4,783 boys · 4,631 girls
- 7–12 8,797 4,530 boys · 4,266 girls
- 3–7 6,446 3,336 boys · 3,110 girls
- 0–3 4,688 2,398 boys · 2,290 girls
About 7,439 residents in Rensselaer County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rensselaer County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.6% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.5% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.9% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 26.9% | 30.2% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Rensselaer County are about the same as in New York.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rensselaer County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.3% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.9% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.2% | 24.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Rensselaer County is about 15% higher than in New York.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 224,440 cigarettes a day, 6.7 million a month, or 81.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.5 million minutes a day and 901.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rensselaer County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 22 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 | Rensselaer County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.56 | 6.02 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rensselaer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rensselaer County, NY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Rensselaer County, NY is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 160,332 residents against a local median of 129,358. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Rensselaer County, NY an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 6% above the local median at 3.4% against 3.2%. Rensselaer County, NY has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer County, NY | 160,332 | 79.1 yrs #6/6 | 3.4% #5/6 | 26.9% #4/6 |
| Berkshire County, MA | 129,358 | 80.3 yrs | 1.7% | 24.5% |
| Columbia County, NY | 61,100 | 81.8 yrs | 3.4% | 30.7% |
| Albany County, NY | 317,009 | 79.5 yrs | 3.2% | 26.8% |
| Bennington County, VT | 37,269 | 82.4 yrs | 5.4% | 25.5% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 238,162 | 81.7 yrs | 2.6% | 27.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County, New York.
How healthy is Rensselaer County, New York?
Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County, New York one of the healthiest counties in New York?
Rensselaer County ranks 20th 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.
What is the life expectancy in Rensselaer County, New York?
People in Rensselaer County, New York can expect to live 79.1 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the New York average of 80.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Rensselaer County, New York?
3.4% of residents in Rensselaer County, New York have no health insurance, about 1 in 29 people, 1.6 points below the New York rate of 5.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Rensselaer County, New York?
26.9% of adults in Rensselaer County, New York are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 3.3 points below the New York rate of 30.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rensselaer County, New York go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 224,440 cigarettes a day, 6.7 million a month, or 81.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.5 million minutes a day and 901.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rensselaer County is 79.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 22 lifetimes a year.
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