Health Profile of Portage County, Wisconsin
Portage 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
Portage County Above averageHealthier than 92% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.2% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Portage County is 81.6 years, about 2.0 years longer than the Wisconsin average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 4.8%, lower than the Wisconsin average of 5.2%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.2% of residents, lower than the Wisconsin average of 13.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
24,962 residents in Portage County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,247 488 men · 759 women
- 75–84 3,541 1,599 men · 1,942 women
- 65–74 6,723 3,297 men · 3,426 women
- 50–64 13,451 6,825 men · 6,626 women
Younger residents
12,918 residents in Portage County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,986 2,106 boys · 1,880 girls
- 7–12 3,982 2,098 boys · 1,884 girls
- 3–7 2,966 1,572 boys · 1,394 girls
- 0–3 1,983 1,032 boys · 951 girls
About 2,180 residents in Portage County (3.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.9% | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.0% | 7.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.3% | 6.7% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.4% | 34.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Portage County is about 21% lower than in Wisconsin. The rate of diabetes in Portage County is about 20% lower than in Wisconsin. The rate of cancer in Portage County is about 17% lower than in Wisconsin.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.4% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 26.4% | 23.6% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.5% | 21.7% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Portage County is about 19% lower than in Wisconsin.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 94,403 cigarettes a day, 2.8 million a month, or 34.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.0 million minutes a day and 379.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Portage County is 81.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.84 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 | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.70 | 6.34 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Portage County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Portage County, WI Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Portage County, WI is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 70,832 residents against a local median of 51,567. Where Portage County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 18% below the local median of 5.8% at 4.8%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.6% on uninsured, so Portage County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Portage County, WI has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County, WI | 70,832 | 81.6 yrs #1/6 | 4.8% #3/6 | 31.4% #1/6 |
| Waushara County, WI | 24,869 | 79.5 yrs | 9.1% | 36.6% |
| Marathon County, WI | 138,251 | 80.4 yrs | 5.8% | 34.8% |
| Waupaca County, WI | 51,567 | 77.9 yrs | 5.9% | 36.9% |
| Wood County, WI | 74,006 | 79.5 yrs | 4.5% | 35.5% |
| Adams County, WI | 21,114 | 77.2 yrs | 4.6% | 36.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Portage County, Wisconsin has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Wisconsin, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Portage County, Wisconsin.
How healthy is Portage County, Wisconsin?
Portage County, Wisconsin 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 Portage County, Wisconsin one of the healthiest counties in Wisconsin?
Portage County ranks 7th 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 Portage County, Wisconsin?
People in Portage County, Wisconsin can expect to live 81.6 years on average, 2.0 years longer than the Wisconsin average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Portage County, Wisconsin?
4.8% of residents in Portage County, Wisconsin have no health insurance, about 1 in 21 people, about the same as the Wisconsin rate of 5.2%.
What is the obesity rate in Portage County, Wisconsin?
31.4% of adults in Portage County, Wisconsin are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.6 points below the Wisconsin rate of 34.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Portage County, Wisconsin go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 94,403 cigarettes a day, 2.8 million a month, or 34.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.0 million minutes a day and 379.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Portage County is 81.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.84 lifetimes a year.
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