Health Profile of Mercer County, Ohio
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.
-
B
Mercer County Around averageHealthier than 87% of counties in Ohio
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | Ohio Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.6% | 6.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.7% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 78.9 years, about 1.9 years longer than the Ohio average of 77.0 years. The uninsured rate is 3.6%, lower than the Ohio average of 6.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.7% of residents, lower than the Ohio average of 17.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
15,468 residents in Mercer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 935 342 men · 593 women
- 75–84 2,273 1,029 men · 1,244 women
- 65–74 4,117 2,015 men · 2,102 women
- 50–64 8,144 4,087 men · 4,057 women
Younger residents
10,557 residents in Mercer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,113 1,713 boys · 1,400 girls
- 7–12 3,057 1,599 boys · 1,457 girls
- 3–7 2,467 1,232 boys · 1,235 girls
- 0–3 1,920 979 boys · 941 girls
About 2,129 residents in Mercer County (5.0% 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 | Ohio Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.8% | 12.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.5% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.1% | 38.4% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mercer County are about the same as in Ohio.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mercer County | Ohio Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.6% | 24.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.6% | 16.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.6% | 28.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mercer County are about the same as in Ohio.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 68,451 cigarettes a day, 2.1 million a month, or 25.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 752,961 minutes a day and 274.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.62 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 | Ohio Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.01 | 7.10 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.0 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, OH Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, OH is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 42,484 residents against a local median of 36,227. Where Mercer County, OH breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 50% below the local median of 7.2% at 3.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 17.2% on uninsured, so Mercer County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, OH has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, OH | 42,484 | 78.9 yrs #2/6 | 3.6% #2/6 | 34.1% #1/6 |
| Van Wert County, OH | 28,826 | 77.1 yrs | 4.0% | 38.9% |
| Adams County, IN | 36,227 | 80.1 yrs | 20.7% | 40.0% |
| Jay County, IN | 20,223 | 76.5 yrs | 10.8% | 38.2% |
| Darke County, OH | 51,593 | 78.6 yrs | 7.2% | 38.1% |
| Auglaize County, OH | 46,123 | 78.4 yrs | 3.5% | 37.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mercer County, Ohio has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Ohio, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Mercer County, Ohio.
What is the health grade for Mercer County, Ohio?
Mercer County, Ohio 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, Ohio one of the healthiest counties in Ohio?
Mercer County ranks 12th healthiest out of 88 counties in Ohio by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Mercer County, Ohio?
People in Mercer County, Ohio can expect to live 78.9 years on average, 1.9 years longer than the Ohio average of 77.0.
What percentage of Mercer County, Ohio residents are uninsured?
3.6% of residents in Mercer County, Ohio have no health insurance, about 1 in 28 people, 2.8 points below the Ohio rate of 6.4%.
What is the obesity rate in Mercer County, Ohio?
34.1% of adults in Mercer County, Ohio are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.4 points below the Ohio rate of 38.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mercer County, Ohio go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 68,451 cigarettes a day, 2.1 million a month, or 25.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 752,961 minutes a day and 274.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 78.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.62 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →