Health Profile of Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester 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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A
Chester County Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Chester County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.4% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 10.6% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Chester County is 80.8 years, about 2.3 years longer than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 4.4%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 10.6% of residents, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
197,751 residents in Chester County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 10,298 4,068 men · 6,230 women
- 75–84 26,368 11,370 men · 14,998 women
- 65–74 49,575 23,596 men · 25,979 women
- 50–64 111,510 55,307 men · 56,203 women
Younger residents
116,843 residents in Chester County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 38,884 19,952 boys · 18,932 girls
- 7–12 34,607 17,679 boys · 16,928 girls
- 3–7 25,073 12,740 boys · 12,333 girls
- 0–3 18,279 9,248 boys · 9,032 girls
About 19,630 residents in Chester County (3.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Chester County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.5% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.3% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.6% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Chester County is about 28% lower than in Pennsylvania. The rate of diabetes in Chester County is about 21% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Chester County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 13.9% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.1% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 18.9% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Chester County is about 31% lower than in Pennsylvania. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Chester County is about 25% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 586,260 cigarettes a day, 17.6 million a month, or 214.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.4 million minutes a day and 2.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chester County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 55 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 | Chester County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.61 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Chester County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Chester County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Chester County, PA is typical in size for this group, 543,223 residents against a local median of 577,338, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Chester County, PA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 11% below the local median at 30.6% against 34.3%. Chester County, PA has the 3rd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County, PA | 543,223 | 80.8 yrs #1/6 | 4.4% #3/6 | 30.6% #3/6 |
| Delaware County, PA | 578,234 | 77.6 yrs | 4.6% | 30.0% |
| New Castle County, DE | 577,338 | 77.8 yrs | 5.9% | 34.3% |
| Montgomery County, PA | 867,535 | 80.2 yrs | 3.9% | 28.1% |
| Cecil County, MD | 104,960 | 76.7 yrs | 3.6% | 38.4% |
| Berks County, PA | 432,828 | 78.5 yrs | 7.3% | 38.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Chester County, Pennsylvania has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than Pennsylvania, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
How healthy is Chester County, Pennsylvania?
Chester County, Pennsylvania 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.
Is Chester County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Chester County ranks 3rd healthiest out of 67 counties in Pennsylvania by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Chester County, Pennsylvania?
People in Chester County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 80.8 years on average, 2.3 years longer than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
How many people lack health insurance in Chester County, Pennsylvania?
4.4% of residents in Chester County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 23 people, 1.2 points below the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
How common is obesity in Chester County, Pennsylvania?
30.6% of adults in Chester County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.9 points below the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Chester County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 586,260 cigarettes a day, 17.6 million a month, or 214.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.4 million minutes a day and 2.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Chester County is 80.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 55 lifetimes a year.
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