Health Profile of Pierce County, Washington
Pierce 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
Pierce County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Pierce County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.9% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.1% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Pierce County is 78.5 years, about 1.1 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.9%, lower than the Washington average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.1% of residents, lower than the Washington average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
287,401 residents in Pierce County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 13,613 4,885 men · 8,727 women
- 75–84 36,091 15,563 men · 20,528 women
- 65–74 73,044 34,400 men · 38,644 women
- 50–64 164,653 82,080 men · 82,572 women
Younger residents
211,676 residents in Pierce County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 63,762 32,692 boys · 31,070 girls
- 7–12 63,772 32,559 boys · 31,213 girls
- 3–7 48,876 25,027 boys · 23,849 girls
- 0–3 35,266 18,127 boys · 17,139 girls
About 34,654 residents in Pierce County (3.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Pierce County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.6% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.0% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.1% | 32.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Pierce County is about 27% lower than in Washington. The rate of cancer in Pierce County is about 17% lower than in Washington.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Pierce County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.8% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.8% | 16.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.4% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Pierce County are about the same as in Washington.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 33.9 million a month, or 412.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.4 million minutes a day and 4.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pierce County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.30 lifetimes a day, or 110 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 | Pierce County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.00 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Pierce County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Pierce County, WA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Pierce County, WA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 929,755 residents against a local median of 276,921. Nothing separates Pierce County, WA sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 13% above the local median at 5.9% against 5.2%. Pierce County, WA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County, WA | 929,755 | 78.5 yrs #4/6 | 5.9% #4/6 | 33.1% #5/6 |
| Lewis County, WA | 85,146 | 78.3 yrs | 6.3% | 33.1% |
| King County, WA | 2,275,758 | 81.2 yrs | 5.2% | 21.6% |
| Thurston County, WA | 299,046 | 79.8 yrs | 5.0% | 30.8% |
| Kitsap County, WA | 276,921 | 79.4 yrs | 5.1% | 30.3% |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 112,357 | 77.0 yrs | 6.2% | 38.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pierce 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 Pierce County, Washington.
What is the health grade for Pierce County, Washington?
Pierce 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 Pierce County, Washington one of the healthiest counties in Washington?
Pierce County ranks 14th 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.
What is the average lifespan in Pierce County, Washington?
People in Pierce County, Washington can expect to live 78.5 years on average, 1.1 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Pierce County, Washington?
5.9% of residents in Pierce County, Washington have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, about the same as the Washington rate of 6.3%.
What is the obesity rate in Pierce County, Washington?
33.1% of adults in Pierce County, Washington are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.6 points above the Washington rate of 32.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Pierce County, Washington go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 33.9 million a month, or 412.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 12.4 million minutes a day and 4.5 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pierce County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.30 lifetimes a day, or 110 lifetimes a year.
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