Health Profile of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia 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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C
Philadelphia County Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.1% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.6% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Philadelphia County is 75.4 years, about 3.0 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 7.1%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.6% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
482,653 residents in Philadelphia County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 25,782 7,837 men · 17,945 women
- 75–84 67,199 25,752 men · 41,447 women
- 65–74 125,363 53,630 men · 71,733 women
- 50–64 264,309 121,971 men · 142,339 women
Younger residents
327,006 residents in Philadelphia County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 98,580 49,640 boys · 48,941 girls
- 7–12 96,354 49,641 boys · 46,712 girls
- 3–7 74,899 38,714 boys · 36,186 girls
- 0–3 57,173 29,123 boys · 28,049 girls
About 89,931 residents in Philadelphia County (5.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.0% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.3% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.1% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.5% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Philadelphia County is about 27% lower than in Pennsylvania. The rate of diabetes in Philadelphia County is about 17% higher than in Pennsylvania. The rate of heart disease in Philadelphia County is about 17% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.1% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.6% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.0% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Philadelphia County is about 19% higher than in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 2.5 million cigarettes a day, 75.0 million a month, or 912.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 27.5 million minutes a day and 10.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Philadelphia County is 75.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.69 lifetimes a day, or 253 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 | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.46 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Philadelphia County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Philadelphia County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Philadelphia County, PA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,579,069 residents against a local median of 578,234. Philadelphia County, PA's uninsured, at 7.1%, runs 79% above the 4.0% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.5% on uninsured, so Philadelphia County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Philadelphia County, PA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County, PA | 1,579,069 | 75.4 yrs #6/6 | 7.1% #6/6 | 30.5% #4/6 |
| Camden County, NJ | 526,561 | 77.8 yrs | 6.3% | 31.2% |
| Delaware County, PA | 578,234 | 77.6 yrs | 4.6% | 30.0% |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 306,962 | 77.6 yrs | 4.0% | 32.0% |
| Montgomery County, PA | 867,535 | 80.2 yrs | 3.9% | 28.1% |
| Bucks County, PA | 647,283 | 79.6 yrs | 3.9% | 26.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Philadelphia County, 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 Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
How healthy is Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia County, 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.
Is Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia County ranks 64th 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 Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
People in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 75.4 years on average, 3.0 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What percentage of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania residents are uninsured?
7.1% of residents in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 1.5 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
What percentage of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania residents are obese?
30.5% of adults in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.0 points below the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 2.5 million cigarettes a day, 75.0 million a month, or 912.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 27.5 million minutes a day and 10.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Philadelphia County is 75.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.69 lifetimes a day, or 253 lifetimes a year.
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