Health Profile of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Lehigh 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
Lehigh County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.4% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.0% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lehigh County is 79.4 years, about 0.9 years longer than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 6.4%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.0% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
133,418 residents in Lehigh County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 8,593 2,962 men · 5,630 women
- 75–84 18,782 7,933 men · 10,849 women
- 65–74 34,626 16,125 men · 18,502 women
- 50–64 71,417 34,516 men · 36,901 women
Younger residents
81,841 residents in Lehigh County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 26,191 13,422 boys · 12,770 girls
- 7–12 24,148 12,449 boys · 11,699 girls
- 3–7 18,070 9,326 boys · 8,744 girls
- 0–3 13,431 6,856 boys · 6,575 girls
About 17,564 residents in Lehigh County (4.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.5% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.6% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Lehigh County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.9% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.0% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Lehigh County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 549,898 cigarettes a day, 16.5 million a month, or 200.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.0 million minutes a day and 2.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lehigh County is 79.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 53 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 | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.43 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lehigh County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lehigh County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lehigh County, PA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 378,708 residents against a local median of 318,250. Lehigh 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, 13% above the local median at 35.6% against 31.6%. Lehigh County, PA has the 5th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh County, PA | 378,708 | 79.4 yrs #4/6 | 6.4% #5/6 | 35.6% #5/6 |
| Northampton County, PA | 318,250 | 79.7 yrs | 4.4% | 30.8% |
| Carbon County, PA | 65,382 | 77.0 yrs | 5.8% | 31.6% |
| Berks County, PA | 432,828 | 78.5 yrs | 7.3% | 38.4% |
| Montgomery County, PA | 867,535 | 80.2 yrs | 3.9% | 28.1% |
| Monroe County, PA | 167,515 | 79.8 yrs | 6.3% | 32.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lehigh 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 Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
Is Lehigh County, Pennsylvania a healthy place to live?
Lehigh 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 Lehigh County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Lehigh County ranks 23rd 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 Lehigh County, Pennsylvania?
People in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 79.4 years on average, 0.9 years longer than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania?
6.4% of residents in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, 0.8 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania?
35.6% of adults in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.1 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 549,898 cigarettes a day, 16.5 million a month, or 200.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 6.0 million minutes a day and 2.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lehigh County is 79.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.15 lifetimes a day, or 53 lifetimes a year.
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