Health Profile of Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady 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
Schenectady County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.1% | 5.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Schenectady County is 78.8 years, about 1.4 years shorter than the New York average of 80.3 years. The uninsured rate is 3.1%, lower than the New York average of 5.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.6% of residents, lower than the New York average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
57,510 residents in Schenectady County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,913 1,244 men · 2,670 women
- 75–84 7,962 3,341 men · 4,621 women
- 65–74 14,536 6,665 men · 7,871 women
- 50–64 31,099 15,039 men · 16,059 women
Younger residents
33,054 residents in Schenectady County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 9,857 5,251 boys · 4,606 girls
- 7–12 9,828 5,042 boys · 4,787 girls
- 3–7 7,725 3,916 boys · 3,809 girls
- 0–3 5,644 2,941 boys · 2,703 girls
About 8,369 residents in Schenectady County (5.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Schenectady County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.1% | 9.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 6.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.2% | 30.2% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Schenectady County are about the same as in New York.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Schenectady County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.0% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.0% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.0% | 24.5% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Schenectady County are about the same as in New York.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 201,946 cigarettes a day, 6.1 million a month, or 73.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.2 million minutes a day and 810.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Schenectady County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 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 | Schenectady County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.69 | 6.02 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Schenectady County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Schenectady County, NY Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Schenectady County, NY is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 160,313 residents against a local median of 49,864. Where Schenectady County, NY breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 18% below the local median of 3.8% at 3.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.6% on uninsured, so Schenectady County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Schenectady County, NY has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schenectady County, NY | 160,313 | 78.8 yrs #6/6 | 3.1% #2/6 | 28.2% #3/6 |
| Albany County, NY | 317,009 | 79.5 yrs | 3.2% | 26.8% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 238,162 | 81.7 yrs | 2.6% | 27.3% |
| Montgomery County, NY | 49,528 | 79.3 yrs | 7.2% | 33.8% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 30,049 | 81.9 yrs | 4.6% | 33.2% |
| Fulton County, NY | 49,864 | 79.5 yrs | 3.8% | 31.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Schenectady 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 Schenectady County, New York.
How healthy is Schenectady County, New York?
Schenectady 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 Schenectady County, New York one of the healthiest counties in New York?
Schenectady County ranks 23rd 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 Schenectady County, New York?
People in Schenectady County, New York can expect to live 78.8 years on average, 1.4 years shorter than the New York average of 80.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Schenectady County, New York?
3.1% of residents in Schenectady County, New York have no health insurance, about 1 in 32 people, 1.9 points below the New York rate of 5.0%.
How common is obesity in Schenectady County, New York?
28.2% of adults in Schenectady County, New York are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 2.0 points below the New York rate of 30.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Schenectady County, New York go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 201,946 cigarettes a day, 6.1 million a month, or 73.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.2 million minutes a day and 810.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Schenectady County is 78.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 20 lifetimes a year.
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