Health Profile of Wahkiakum County, Washington
Wahkiakum 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
Wahkiakum County Around averageLess healthy than 71% of counties in Washington
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wahkiakum County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.3% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.0% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wahkiakum County is 78.4 years, about 1.2 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 4.3%, lower than the Washington average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.0% of residents, higher than the Washington average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,512 residents in Wahkiakum County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 117 46 men · 71 women
- 75–84 422 204 men · 218 women
- 65–74 900 457 men · 443 women
- 50–64 1,073 488 men · 585 women
Younger residents
795 residents in Wahkiakum County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 292 144 boys · 147 girls
- 7–12 241 117 boys · 124 girls
- 3–7 157 81 boys · 76 girls
- 0–3 104 50 boys · 55 girls
About 351 residents in Wahkiakum County (7.6% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wahkiakum County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.4% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.4% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.6% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.1% | 32.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Wahkiakum County is about 30% higher than in Washington. The rate of heart disease in Wahkiakum County is about 25% higher than in Washington. The rate of diabetes in Wahkiakum County is about 23% higher than in Washington.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wahkiakum County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.0% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.2% | 16.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.6% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Wahkiakum County are about the same as in Washington.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 6,129 cigarettes a day, 183,859 a month, or 2.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 67,415 minutes a day and 24.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wahkiakum County is 78.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.60 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 | Wahkiakum County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.81 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wahkiakum County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Wahkiakum County, WA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Wahkiakum County, WA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 4,646 residents against a local median of 53,499. The measure that sets Wahkiakum County, WA apart most is uninsured: 4.3%, 24% below the local median of 5.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.9% on uninsured, so Wahkiakum County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wahkiakum County, WA has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wahkiakum County, WA | 4,646 | 78.4 yrs #3/6 | 4.3% #1/6 | 35.1% #4/6 |
| Clatsop County, OR | 41,354 | 78.0 yrs | 7.1% | 28.3% |
| Pacific County, WA | 23,983 | 77.5 yrs | 5.7% | 37.2% |
| Columbia County, OR | 53,499 | 78.7 yrs | 5.4% | 31.8% |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 112,357 | 77.0 yrs | 6.2% | 38.0% |
| Washington County, OR | 603,920 | 81.1 yrs | 5.2% | 28.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wahkiakum 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 Wahkiakum County, Washington.
What is the health grade for Wahkiakum County, Washington?
Wahkiakum 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 Wahkiakum County, Washington one of the healthiest counties in Washington?
Wahkiakum County ranks 28th 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 Wahkiakum County, Washington?
People in Wahkiakum County, Washington can expect to live 78.4 years on average, 1.2 years shorter than the Washington average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Wahkiakum County, Washington?
4.3% of residents in Wahkiakum County, Washington have no health insurance, about 1 in 23 people, 2.0 points below the Washington rate of 6.3%.
How common is obesity in Wahkiakum County, Washington?
35.1% of adults in Wahkiakum County, Washington are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.5 points above the Washington rate of 32.6%.
What is the biggest health concern in Wahkiakum County, Washington?
Compared with Washington as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 12.4%, about 23% higher than the Washington rate of 10.1%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wahkiakum County, Washington go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 6,129 cigarettes a day, 183,859 a month, or 2.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 67,415 minutes a day and 24.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wahkiakum County is 78.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.60 lifetimes a year.
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