Health Profile of Columbia County, Washington
Columbia 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
Columbia County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.8% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.2% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Columbia County is 79.0 years, about 0.6 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 7.8%, higher than the Washington average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.2% of residents, higher than the Washington average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,997 residents in Columbia County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 120 40 men · 80 women
- 75–84 348 181 men · 166 women
- 65–74 616 301 men · 314 women
- 50–64 913 454 men · 460 women
Younger residents
700 residents in Columbia County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 225 122 boys · 103 girls
- 7–12 220 115 boys · 105 girls
- 3–7 152 75 boys · 77 girls
- 0–3 103 54 boys · 48 girls
About 310 residents in Columbia County (7.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.5% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.1% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.5% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.0% | 32.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Columbia County is about 26% higher than in Washington. The rate of heart disease in Columbia County is about 24% higher than in Washington.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.3% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.3% | 16.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.6% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Columbia County are about the same as in Washington.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 5,361 cigarettes a day, 160,835 a month, or 2.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 58,973 minutes a day and 21.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Columbia County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.52 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 | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.49 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Columbia County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Columbia County, WA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbia County, WA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 4,012 residents against a local median of 22,455. The measure that sets Columbia County, WA apart most is uninsured: 7.8%, 30% above the local median of 6.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 11.6% on uninsured, so Columbia County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Columbia County, WA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, WA | 4,012 | 79.0 yrs #4/6 | 7.8% #5/6 | 34.0% #5/6 |
| Garfield County, WA | 2,351 | 82.5 yrs | 4.3% | 32.2% |
| Walla Walla County, WA | 62,160 | 80.0 yrs | 6.9% | 28.3% |
| Asotin County, WA | 22,455 | 77.6 yrs | 6.0% | 32.7% |
| Whitman County, WA | 47,000 | 80.8 yrs | 5.5% | 29.1% |
| Adams County, WA | 20,799 | 78.7 yrs | 16.0% | 35.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Columbia County, Washington has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Washington, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Columbia County, Washington.
Is Columbia County, Washington a healthy place to live?
Columbia County, Washington 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 Columbia County, Washington one of the healthiest counties in Washington?
Columbia County ranks 24th healthiest out of 39 counties in Washington by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Columbia County, Washington?
People in Columbia County, Washington can expect to live 79.0 years on average, 0.6 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Columbia County, Washington?
7.8% of residents in Columbia County, Washington have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 1.5 points above the Washington rate of 6.3%.
How common is obesity in Columbia County, Washington?
34.0% of adults in Columbia County, Washington are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.4 points above the Washington rate of 32.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Columbia County, Washington go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 5,361 cigarettes a day, 160,835 a month, or 2.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 58,973 minutes a day and 21.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Columbia County is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.52 lifetimes a year.
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