Health Profile of Ashland County, Wisconsin
Ashland 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
Ashland County Around averageLess healthy than 93% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.4% | 5.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.8% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Ashland County is 77.1 years, about 2.5 years shorter than the Wisconsin average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 6.4%, higher than the Wisconsin average of 5.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.8% of residents, higher than the Wisconsin average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,480 residents in Ashland County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 419 133 men · 286 women
- 75–84 892 419 men · 473 women
- 65–74 1,767 877 men · 890 women
- 50–64 3,401 1,722 men · 1,679 women
Younger residents
3,290 residents in Ashland County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,085 572 boys · 513 girls
- 7–12 961 529 boys · 432 girls
- 3–7 725 412 boys · 312 girls
- 0–3 518 280 boys · 239 girls
About 1,073 residents in Ashland County (6.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.2% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.6% | 6.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.8% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Ashland County are about the same as in Wisconsin.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.0% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 24.4% | 23.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.3% | 21.7% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Ashland County is about 19% higher than in Wisconsin.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,993 cigarettes a day, 839,795 a month, or 10.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 307,925 minutes a day and 112.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ashland County is 77.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.77 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 | Ashland County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 4.69 | 6.34 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 4.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Ashland County is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Ashland County, WI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Ashland County, WI is typical in size for this group, 16,080 residents against a local median of 14,317, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Ashland County, WI sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 11% above the local median at 6.4% against 5.8%. Ashland County, WI has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County, WI | 16,080 | 77.1 yrs #6/6 | 6.4% #5/6 | 39.8% #6/6 |
| Iron County, WI | 6,210 | 80.1 yrs | 6.1% | 34.8% |
| Bayfield County, WI | 16,575 | 80.9 yrs | 5.3% | 33.4% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 14,317 | 77.3 yrs | 5.1% | 38.9% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 18,476 | 77.5 yrs | 6.5% | 37.1% |
| Price County, WI | 14,089 | 78.8 yrs | 5.8% | 37.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ashland County, Wisconsin has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with Wisconsin, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Ashland County, Wisconsin.
Is Ashland County, Wisconsin a healthy place to live?
Ashland County, Wisconsin 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 Ashland County, Wisconsin one of the healthiest counties in Wisconsin?
Ashland County ranks 67th healthiest out of 72 counties in Wisconsin by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
People in Ashland County, Wisconsin can expect to live 77.1 years on average, 2.5 years shorter than the Wisconsin average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
6.4% of residents in Ashland County, Wisconsin have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, 1.2 points above the Wisconsin rate of 5.2%.
What is the obesity rate in Ashland County, Wisconsin?
39.8% of adults in Ashland County, Wisconsin are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.9 points above the Wisconsin rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Ashland County, Wisconsin go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,993 cigarettes a day, 839,795 a month, or 10.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 307,925 minutes a day and 112.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Ashland County is 77.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.77 lifetimes a year.
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