Health Profile of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre 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
Wilkes-Barre Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.4 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.4% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.9% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wilkes-Barre is 74.4 years, about 4.0 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4 years. The uninsured rate is 9.4%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 20.9% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
14,124 residents in Wilkes-Barre are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,125 279 men · 845 women
- 75–84 2,144 886 men · 1,258 women
- 65–74 3,572 1,713 men · 1,860 women
- 50–64 7,283 3,785 men · 3,498 women
Younger residents
8,811 residents in Wilkes-Barre are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,658 1,315 boys · 1,343 girls
- 7–12 2,482 1,265 boys · 1,217 girls
- 3–7 2,086 1,024 boys · 1,062 girls
- 0–3 1,585 748 boys · 838 girls
About 3,466 residents in Wilkes-Barre (8.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.6% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.2% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Wilkes-Barre is about 20% higher than in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.3% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.8% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Wilkes-Barre is about 18% higher than in Pennsylvania. The rate of smoking in Wilkes-Barre is about 18% higher than in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 80,437 cigarettes a day, 2.4 million a month, or 29.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 884,804 minutes a day and 323.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wilkes-Barre is 74.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.26 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 | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.72 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wilkes-Barre is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wilkes-Barre, 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 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Is Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania a healthy place to live?
Wilkes-Barre, 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.
What is the life expectancy in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania?
People in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania can expect to live 74.4 years on average, 4.0 years shorter than the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What percentage of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania residents are uninsured?
9.4% of residents in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 3.7 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania?
38.2% of adults in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.7 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 80,437 cigarettes a day, 2.4 million a month, or 29.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 884,804 minutes a day and 323.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wilkes-Barre is 74.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.26 lifetimes a year.
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