Health Profile of Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham 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
Bellingham Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Bellingham | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.4% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.3% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Bellingham is 79.8 years, about 0.1 years longer than the Washington average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.4%, lower than the Washington average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.3% of residents, lower than the Washington average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
20,052 residents in Bellingham are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,119 350 men · 768 women
- 75–84 2,647 1,123 men · 1,524 women
- 65–74 5,381 2,490 men · 2,891 women
- 50–64 10,905 5,269 men · 5,636 women
Younger residents
10,349 residents in Bellingham are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,224 1,604 boys · 1,620 girls
- 7–12 3,055 1,639 boys · 1,416 girls
- 3–7 2,362 1,303 boys · 1,059 girls
- 0–3 1,708 923 boys · 784 girls
About 2,336 residents in Bellingham (3.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Bellingham | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.8% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.8% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.5% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.1% | 32.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Bellingham is about 35% lower than in Washington. The rate of cancer in Bellingham is about 34% lower than in Washington. The rate of diabetes in Bellingham is about 33% lower than in Washington.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Bellingham | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.5% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.4% | 16.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 15.8% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Bellingham is about 32% higher than in Washington. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Bellingham is about 22% lower than in Washington.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 100,133 cigarettes a day, 3.0 million a month, or 36.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 402.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bellingham is 79.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.59 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 | Bellingham | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.88 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Bellingham is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Bellingham, Washington has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Washington, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Bellingham, Washington.
Is Bellingham, Washington a healthy place to live?
Bellingham, Washington 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.
What is the life expectancy in Bellingham, Washington?
People in Bellingham, Washington can expect to live 79.8 years on average, about the same as the Washington average of 79.6.
What percentage of Bellingham, Washington residents are uninsured?
5.4% of residents in Bellingham, Washington have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 1.0 points below the Washington rate of 6.3%.
How common is obesity in Bellingham, Washington?
27.1% of adults in Bellingham, Washington are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 5.5 points below the Washington rate of 32.6%.
What health issue is more common in Bellingham, Washington than elsewhere?
Compared with Washington as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 21.4%, about 32% higher than the Washington rate of 16.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Bellingham, Washington go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 100,133 cigarettes a day, 3.0 million a month, or 36.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.1 million minutes a day and 402.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bellingham is 79.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 9.59 lifetimes a year.
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