Health Profile of Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom 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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A
Whatcom County Above averageHealthier than 84% of counties in Washington
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.8% | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.8% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Whatcom County is 80.5 years, about 0.9 years longer than the Washington average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.8%, lower than the Washington average of 6.3%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.8% of residents, lower than the Washington average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
78,560 residents in Whatcom County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,034 1,553 men · 2,481 women
- 75–84 11,251 5,224 men · 6,028 women
- 65–74 22,808 10,919 men · 11,889 women
- 50–64 40,466 20,069 men · 20,397 women
Younger residents
42,453 residents in Whatcom County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 13,091 6,734 boys · 6,357 girls
- 7–12 13,131 6,763 boys · 6,368 girls
- 3–7 9,676 4,951 boys · 4,726 girls
- 0–3 6,554 3,318 boys · 3,236 girls
About 8,097 residents in Whatcom County (3.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.4% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.9% | 32.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Whatcom County is about 17% lower than in Washington. The rate of diabetes in Whatcom County is about 17% lower than in Washington.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.5% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.6% | 16.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.2% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Whatcom County is about 21% higher than in Washington. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Whatcom County is about 20% lower than in Washington.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 291,677 cigarettes a day, 8.8 million a month, or 106.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.2 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Whatcom County is 80.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 28 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 | Whatcom County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.07 | 5.25 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Whatcom County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Whatcom County, WA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Whatcom County, WA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 230,493 residents against a local median of 131,328. Nothing separates Whatcom 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 obesity, 8% below the local median at 27.9% against 30.2%. Whatcom County, WA has the 3rd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | 230,493 | 80.5 yrs #4/6 | 5.8% #3/6 | 27.9% #3/6 |
| Skagit County, WA | 131,328 | 79.6 yrs | 6.4% | 33.8% |
| Snohomish County, WA | 843,136 | 79.6 yrs | 6.2% | 31.3% |
| Island County, WA | 86,836 | 81.4 yrs | 4.5% | 30.2% |
| San Juan County, WA | 18,478 | 82.8 yrs | 6.0% | 26.3% |
| King County, WA | 2,275,758 | 81.2 yrs | 5.2% | 21.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Whatcom County, 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 Whatcom County, Washington.
What is the health grade for Whatcom County, Washington?
Whatcom County, 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.
Is Whatcom County, Washington one of the healthiest counties in Washington?
Whatcom County ranks 7th 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 Whatcom County, Washington?
People in Whatcom County, Washington can expect to live 80.5 years on average, 0.9 years longer than the Washington average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Whatcom County, Washington?
5.8% of residents in Whatcom County, Washington have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 0.6 points below the Washington rate of 6.3%.
How common is obesity in Whatcom County, Washington?
27.9% of adults in Whatcom County, Washington are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 4.7 points below the Washington rate of 32.6%.
What health issue is more common in Whatcom County, Washington than elsewhere?
Compared with Washington as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 19.6%, about 21% higher than the Washington rate of 16.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Whatcom County, Washington go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 291,677 cigarettes a day, 8.8 million a month, or 106.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.2 million minutes a day and 1.2 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Whatcom County is 80.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.08 lifetimes a day, or 28 lifetimes a year.
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