Health Profile of Cowlitz County, Washington
Cowlitz 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
Cowlitz County Around averageLess healthy than 84% of counties in Washington
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.2% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.1% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Cowlitz County is 77.0 years, about 2.7 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 6.2%, lower than the Washington average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.1% of residents, higher than the Washington average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
42,230 residents in Cowlitz County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,209 847 men · 1,361 women
- 75–84 5,977 2,758 men · 3,219 women
- 65–74 12,084 5,969 men · 6,114 women
- 50–64 21,961 10,993 men · 10,968 women
Younger residents
24,999 residents in Cowlitz County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 7,957 3,985 boys · 3,972 girls
- 7–12 7,414 3,948 boys · 3,466 girls
- 3–7 5,540 3,004 boys · 2,536 girls
- 0–3 4,088 2,163 boys · 1,924 girls
About 6,802 residents in Cowlitz County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.4% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.5% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.0% | 32.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Cowlitz County is about 17% higher than in Washington.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.2% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.2% | 16.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.5% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Cowlitz County is about 23% higher than in Washington.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 176,322 cigarettes a day, 5.3 million a month, or 64.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.9 million minutes a day and 707.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cowlitz County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 18 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 | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.98 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Cowlitz County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Cowlitz County, WA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Cowlitz County, WA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 112,357 residents against a local median of 299,046. Cowlitz County, WA's obesity, at 38.0%, runs 19% above the 31.8% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 9.4% on obesity, so Cowlitz County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cowlitz County, WA has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowlitz County, WA | 112,357 | 77.0 yrs #6/6 | 6.2% #4/6 | 38.0% #6/6 |
| Clark County, WA | 516,710 | 79.1 yrs | 6.7% | 35.1% |
| Columbia County, OR | 53,499 | 78.7 yrs | 5.4% | 31.8% |
| Lewis County, WA | 85,146 | 78.3 yrs | 6.3% | 33.1% |
| Multnomah County, OR | 801,042 | 78.9 yrs | 5.6% | 25.7% |
| Thurston County, WA | 299,046 | 79.8 yrs | 5.0% | 30.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cowlitz County, Washington has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Washington, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Cowlitz County, Washington.
How healthy is Cowlitz County, Washington?
Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz County, Washington one of the healthiest counties in Washington?
Cowlitz County ranks 33rd 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 Cowlitz County, Washington?
People in Cowlitz County, Washington can expect to live 77.0 years on average, 2.7 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Cowlitz County, Washington?
6.2% of residents in Cowlitz County, Washington have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the Washington rate of 6.3%.
How common is obesity in Cowlitz County, Washington?
38.0% of adults in Cowlitz County, Washington are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.4 points above the Washington rate of 32.6%.
What is the biggest health concern in Cowlitz County, Washington?
Compared with Washington as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 20.2%, about 23% higher than the Washington rate of 16.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Cowlitz County, Washington go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 176,322 cigarettes a day, 5.3 million a month, or 64.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.9 million minutes a day and 707.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Cowlitz County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 18 lifetimes a year.
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