Health Profile of Portland, Oregon
Portland 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
Portland Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Portland | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.2% | 5.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.0% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Portland is 79.0 years, about 0.2 years longer than the Oregon average of 78.8 years. The uninsured rate is 5.2%, lower than the Oregon average of 5.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.0% of residents, lower than the Oregon average of 15.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
190,934 residents in Portland are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 10,045 3,675 men · 6,369 women
- 75–84 22,682 9,456 men · 13,226 women
- 65–74 48,782 22,781 men · 26,001 women
- 50–64 109,426 55,883 men · 53,543 women
Younger residents
104,499 residents in Portland are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 31,913 16,286 boys · 15,627 girls
- 7–12 30,387 15,453 boys · 14,933 girls
- 3–7 23,916 12,198 boys · 11,717 girls
- 0–3 18,283 9,335 boys · 8,948 girls
About 22,235 residents in Portland (3.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Portland | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.6% | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.3% | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.2% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 25.3% | 30.7% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Portland is about 42% lower than in Oregon. The rate of cancer in Portland is about 29% lower than in Oregon. The rate of diabetes in Portland is about 28% lower than in Oregon.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Portland | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.4% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.7% | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 15.1% | 20.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Portland is about 27% lower than in Oregon. The rate of binge drinking in Portland is about 27% higher than in Oregon. The rate of smoking in Portland is about 15% lower than in Oregon.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 767,955 cigarettes a day, 23.0 million a month, or 280.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 8.4 million minutes a day and 3.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Portland is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.20 lifetimes a day, or 74 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 | Portland | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.82 | 6.11 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Portland is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Portland, OR Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Portland, OR compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | 635,220 | 79.0 yrs #2/3 | 5.2% #2/3 | 25.3% #1/3 |
| Milwaukie, OR | 21,281 | 79.7 yrs | 4.5% | 26.7% |
| Vancouver, WA | 192,630 | 78.3 yrs | 7.6% | 35.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Portland, Oregon has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Oregon, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Portland, Oregon.
Is Portland, Oregon a healthy place to live?
Portland, Oregon 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.
What is the life expectancy in Portland, Oregon?
People in Portland, Oregon can expect to live 79.0 years on average, about the same as the Oregon average of 78.8.
What percentage of Portland, Oregon residents are uninsured?
5.2% of residents in Portland, Oregon have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 0.7 points below the Oregon rate of 5.9%.
How common is obesity in Portland, Oregon?
25.3% of adults in Portland, Oregon are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 5.4 points below the Oregon rate of 30.7%.
What is the biggest health concern in Portland, Oregon?
Compared with Oregon as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 20.7%, about 27% higher than the Oregon rate of 16.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Portland, Oregon go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 767,955 cigarettes a day, 23.0 million a month, or 280.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 8.4 million minutes a day and 3.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Portland is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.20 lifetimes a day, or 74 lifetimes a year.
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