Health Profile of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster 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
Lancaster County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.2% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.0% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lancaster County is 79.8 years, about 1.4 years longer than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 11.2%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.0% of residents, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
202,541 residents in Lancaster County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 15,386 5,229 men · 10,157 women
- 75–84 31,903 14,021 men · 17,882 women
- 65–74 53,034 25,041 men · 27,993 women
- 50–64 102,218 50,449 men · 51,769 women
Younger residents
124,457 residents in Lancaster County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 38,771 20,075 boys · 18,695 girls
- 7–12 36,447 18,761 boys · 17,685 girls
- 3–7 28,033 14,372 boys · 13,661 girls
- 0–3 21,207 10,884 boys · 10,323 girls
About 29,538 residents in Lancaster County (5.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.2% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.2% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Lancaster County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.5% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.8% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Lancaster County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 801,009 cigarettes a day, 24.0 million a month, or 292.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 8.8 million minutes a day and 3.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 79.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.21 lifetimes a day, or 77 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 | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.01 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lancaster County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lancaster County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lancaster County, PA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 557,898 residents against a local median of 432,828. Where Lancaster County, PA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 133% above the local median of 4.8% at 11.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.5% on uninsured, so Lancaster County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lancaster County, PA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, PA | 557,898 | 79.8 yrs #2/6 | 11.2% #6/6 | 34.2% #3/6 |
| Lebanon County, PA | 144,187 | 78.9 yrs | 9.0% | 36.3% |
| Berks County, PA | 432,828 | 78.5 yrs | 7.3% | 38.4% |
| York County, PA | 462,883 | 78.4 yrs | 4.8% | 34.7% |
| Chester County, PA | 543,223 | 80.8 yrs | 4.4% | 30.6% |
| Harford County, MD | 263,722 | 78.8 yrs | 3.6% | 32.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Pennsylvania, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
How healthy is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 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 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Lancaster County ranks 25th 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.
How long do people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
People in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 79.8 years on average, 1.4 years longer than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
11.2% of residents in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 5.6 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
How common is obesity in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
34.2% of adults in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 801,009 cigarettes a day, 24.0 million a month, or 292.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 8.8 million minutes a day and 3.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 79.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.21 lifetimes a day, or 77 lifetimes a year.
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