Health Profile of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg 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.
-
C
Harrisburg Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.4% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.6% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Harrisburg is 74.5 years, about 3.9 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 9.4%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.6% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
13,996 residents in Harrisburg are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 492 135 men · 356 women
- 75–84 1,780 775 men · 1,006 women
- 65–74 3,284 1,394 men · 1,890 women
- 50–64 8,439 4,203 men · 4,236 women
Younger residents
13,009 residents in Harrisburg are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,693 1,862 boys · 1,832 girls
- 7–12 3,855 1,963 boys · 1,893 girls
- 3–7 3,085 1,514 boys · 1,571 girls
- 0–3 2,376 1,175 boys · 1,200 girls
About 2,409 residents in Harrisburg (4.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.7% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.9% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Harrisburg is about 35% lower than in Pennsylvania. The rate of diabetes in Harrisburg is about 28% higher than in Pennsylvania. The rate of heart disease in Harrisburg is about 16% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 24.2% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.7% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Harrisburg is about 30% higher than in Pennsylvania. The rate of smoking in Harrisburg is about 20% higher than in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 88,277 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 32.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 971,051 minutes a day and 354.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Harrisburg is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 9.05 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 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.89 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Harrisburg is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Pennsylvania, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania a healthy place to live?
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
How long do people live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
People in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania can expect to live 74.5 years on average, 3.9 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
How many people lack health insurance in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
9.4% of residents in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 3.7 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
What percentage of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania residents are obese?
39.9% of adults in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.5 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
What is the biggest health concern in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Compared with Pennsylvania as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 32.7%, about 30% higher than the Pennsylvania rate of 25.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 88,277 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 32.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 971,051 minutes a day and 354.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Harrisburg is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 9.05 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 →