Health Profile of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Milwaukee 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
Milwaukee County Around averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.2% | 5.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.7% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Milwaukee County is 76.7 years, about 2.9 years shorter than the Wisconsin average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 7.2%, higher than the Wisconsin average of 5.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.7% of residents, higher than the Wisconsin average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
285,000 residents in Milwaukee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 16,983 5,313 men · 11,670 women
- 75–84 36,494 14,949 men · 21,545 women
- 65–74 72,148 32,779 men · 39,369 women
- 50–64 159,375 76,538 men · 82,837 women
Younger residents
209,109 residents in Milwaukee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 63,889 32,599 boys · 31,290 girls
- 7–12 60,947 31,200 boys · 29,747 girls
- 3–7 47,692 24,371 boys · 23,321 girls
- 0–3 36,582 18,619 boys · 17,962 girls
About 45,943 residents in Milwaukee County (5.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.7% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.4% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.4% | 6.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.8% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Milwaukee County is about 26% lower than in Wisconsin. The rate of heart disease in Milwaukee County is about 20% lower than in Wisconsin.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20.3% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 24.3% | 23.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.9% | 21.7% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Milwaukee County is about 15% higher than in Wisconsin.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.4 million cigarettes a day, 43.1 million a month, or 524.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 15.8 million minutes a day and 5.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Milwaukee County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.39 lifetimes a day, or 143 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 | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.41 | 6.34 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Milwaukee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Milwaukee County, WI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Milwaukee County, WI is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 925,807 residents against a local median of 168,436. Where Milwaukee County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 25% above the local median of 5.7% at 7.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.4% on uninsured, so Milwaukee County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Milwaukee County, WI has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee County, WI | 925,807 | 76.7 yrs #6/6 | 7.2% #6/6 | 38.8% #6/6 |
| Racine County, WI | 197,532 | 78.0 yrs | 5.7% | 36.8% |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 92,977 | 81.2 yrs | 2.5% | 30.7% |
| Kenosha County, WI | 168,436 | 77.6 yrs | 5.7% | 36.1% |
| Lake County, IL | 714,026 | 80.2 yrs | 6.9% | 30.9% |
| Sheboygan County, WI | 117,991 | 78.9 yrs | 4.0% | 35.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
How healthy is Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County, Wisconsin one of the healthiest counties in Wisconsin?
Milwaukee County ranks 66th 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 life expectancy in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
People in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin can expect to live 76.7 years on average, 2.9 years shorter than the Wisconsin average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
7.2% of residents in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 1.9 points above the Wisconsin rate of 5.2%.
How common is obesity in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
38.8% of adults in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.9 points above the Wisconsin rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.4 million cigarettes a day, 43.1 million a month, or 524.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 15.8 million minutes a day and 5.8 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Milwaukee County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.39 lifetimes a day, or 143 lifetimes a year.
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