Health Profile of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset 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
Somerset County Around averageLess healthy than 82% of counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Somerset County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.6% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.1% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Somerset County is 78.1 years, about 0.4 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 6.6%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.1% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
32,856 residents in Somerset County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,512 895 men · 1,617 women
- 75–84 4,784 2,186 men · 2,598 women
- 65–74 9,064 4,481 men · 4,583 women
- 50–64 16,495 8,663 men · 7,832 women
Younger residents
12,561 residents in Somerset County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,964 2,004 boys · 1,960 girls
- 7–12 3,742 1,917 boys · 1,824 girls
- 3–7 2,824 1,509 boys · 1,316 girls
- 0–3 2,031 1,106 boys · 925 girls
About 5,698 residents in Somerset County (7.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Somerset County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.7% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.8% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Somerset County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Somerset County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.3% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.3% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.8% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Somerset County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 133,158 cigarettes a day, 4.0 million a month, or 48.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.5 million minutes a day and 534.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Somerset County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 13 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 | Somerset County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.18 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Somerset County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Somerset County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Somerset County, PA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 72,817 residents against a local median of 47,513. The measure that sets Somerset County, PA apart most is uninsured: 6.6%, 35% above the local median of 4.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.8% on uninsured, so Somerset County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Somerset County, PA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, PA | 72,817 | 78.1 yrs #2/6 | 6.6% #5/6 | 35.8% #5/6 |
| Allegany County, MD | 67,200 | 76.5 yrs | 3.8% | 34.0% |
| Garrett County, MD | 28,615 | 78.0 yrs | 6.2% | 33.3% |
| Bedford County, PA | 47,513 | 78.6 yrs | 7.8% | 35.0% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 352,391 | 78.0 yrs | 3.0% | 35.8% |
| Mineral County, WV | 26,854 | 76.7 yrs | 4.9% | 38.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Somerset County, Pennsylvania has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Pennsylvania, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
What is the health grade for Somerset County, Pennsylvania?
Somerset 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 Somerset County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Somerset County ranks 55th 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 Somerset County, Pennsylvania?
People in Somerset County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 78.1 years on average, about the same as the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Somerset County, Pennsylvania?
6.6% of residents in Somerset County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 1.0 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Somerset County, Pennsylvania?
35.8% of adults in Somerset County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.3 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Somerset County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 133,158 cigarettes a day, 4.0 million a month, or 48.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.5 million minutes a day and 534.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Somerset County is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 13 lifetimes a year.
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