Health Profile of Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer 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
Mercer County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.4% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.9% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 77.2 years, about 1.2 years shorter 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 16.9% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
47,367 residents in Mercer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,241 1,084 men · 2,158 women
- 75–84 7,594 3,135 men · 4,459 women
- 65–74 12,987 6,131 men · 6,856 women
- 50–64 23,544 11,723 men · 11,821 women
Younger residents
19,604 residents in Mercer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,451 3,387 boys · 3,064 girls
- 7–12 5,767 2,953 boys · 2,814 girls
- 3–7 4,298 2,205 boys · 2,094 girls
- 0–3 3,087 1,585 boys · 1,502 girls
About 8,772 residents in Mercer County (8.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.4% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.7% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.2% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.2% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mercer County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.9% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.1% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.9% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mercer County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 185,162 cigarettes a day, 5.6 million a month, or 67.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 743.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 18 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 | Mercer County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.86 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mercer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mercer County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, PA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 109,257 residents against a local median of 85,016. The measure that sets Mercer County, PA apart most is uninsured: 6.4%, 24% above the local median of 5.1%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.5% on uninsured, so Mercer County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, PA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, PA | 109,257 | 77.2 yrs #4/6 | 6.4% #4/6 | 33.2% #2/6 |
| Lawrence County, PA | 85,016 | 77.0 yrs | 5.1% | 37.8% |
| Crawford County, PA | 82,709 | 77.7 yrs | 9.0% | 31.9% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 200,835 | 75.7 yrs | 7.0% | 41.6% |
| Venango County, PA | 49,798 | 77.3 yrs | 4.4% | 36.7% |
| Butler County, PA | 197,141 | 78.9 yrs | 3.4% | 33.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mercer 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 Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
Is Mercer County, Pennsylvania a healthy place to live?
Mercer 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 Mercer County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Mercer County ranks 43rd 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 average lifespan in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
People in Mercer County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 77.2 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
6.4% of residents in Mercer County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, 0.7 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
What percentage of Mercer County, Pennsylvania residents are obese?
33.2% of adults in Mercer County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.3 points below the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Mercer County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 185,162 cigarettes a day, 5.6 million a month, or 67.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 743.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 18 lifetimes a year.
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