Health Profile of Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington 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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A
Washington County Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Washington County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.6 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.0% | 4.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 10.5% | 11.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Washington County is 80.6 years, about 0.8 years longer than the Rhode Island average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 2.0%, lower than the Rhode Island average of 4.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 10.5% of residents, lower than the Rhode Island average of 11.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
55,326 residents in Washington County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,822 961 men · 1,861 women
- 75–84 7,919 3,475 men · 4,443 women
- 65–74 15,052 7,250 men · 7,802 women
- 50–64 29,534 14,486 men · 15,048 women
Younger residents
20,196 residents in Washington County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,763 3,494 boys · 3,268 girls
- 7–12 6,174 3,160 boys · 3,014 girls
- 3–7 4,343 2,193 boys · 2,150 girls
- 0–3 2,916 1,479 boys · 1,437 girls
About 5,656 residents in Washington County (4.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Washington County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.8% | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.5% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 6.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 24.6% | 27.6% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Washington County are about the same as in Rhode Island.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Washington County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 13.6% | 14.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.3% | 17.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.5% | 19.1% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Washington County are about the same as in Rhode Island.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 149,492 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 54.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.6 million minutes a day and 600.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 80.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 14 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 | Washington County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.69 | 5.30 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Washington County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Washington County, RI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, RI is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 130,338 residents against a local median of 171,061. Washington County, RI's uninsured, at 2.0%, runs 49% below the 3.9% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 24.6% against a local median of 31.0%, 21% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Washington County, RI is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 3.1% on uninsured, so Washington County, RI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, RI has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, RI | 130,338 | 80.6 yrs #2/6 | 2.0% #1/6 | 24.6% #1/6 |
| Kent County, RI | 171,061 | 78.9 yrs | 3.2% | 32.0% |
| Newport County, RI | 84,657 | 80.5 yrs | 3.9% | 24.9% |
| Bristol County, RI | 50,443 | 80.7 yrs | 2.3% | 24.8% |
| Providence County, RI | 663,899 | 78.5 yrs | 5.4% | 31.8% |
| Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 252,265 | 79.3 yrs | 5.0% | 31.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Washington County, Rhode Island has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Rhode Island, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Washington County, Rhode Island.
Is Washington County, Rhode Island a healthy place to live?
Washington County, Rhode Island has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Washington County, Rhode Island one of the healthiest counties in Rhode Island?
Washington County ranks 2nd healthiest out of 5 counties in Rhode Island by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Washington County, Rhode Island?
People in Washington County, Rhode Island can expect to live 80.6 years on average, 0.8 years longer than the Rhode Island average of 79.9.
What percentage of Washington County, Rhode Island residents are uninsured?
2.0% of residents in Washington County, Rhode Island have no health insurance, about 1 in 50 people, 2.4 points below the Rhode Island rate of 4.4%.
What percentage of Washington County, Rhode Island residents are obese?
24.6% of adults in Washington County, Rhode Island are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 3.1 points below the Rhode Island rate of 27.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Washington County, Rhode Island go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 149,492 cigarettes a day, 4.5 million a month, or 54.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.6 million minutes a day and 600.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Washington County is 80.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 14 lifetimes a year.
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