Michigan County Health Comparison 2026: Obesity, Smoking, and Depression Data

Using CDC PLACES 2024 data — county-level health behavior estimates derived from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System — Michigan Signals tracks seven health indicators across all ten dashboard counties. The variation across these counties is substantial, and the patterns follow the economic and demographic differences that shape health outcomes nationally.

Adult Obesity Rate

From lowest to highest obesity prevalence:

• Washtenaw County: 29.0%
• Oakland County: 30.9%
• Livingston County: 31.9%
• Ottawa County: 33.2%
• Kent County: 34.9%
• Ingham County: 36.6%
• Macomb County: 37.3%
• Wayne County: 37.3%
• Kalamazoo County: 38.9%
• Genesee County: 40.6%

The pattern maps closely to income: wealthier counties (Washtenaw, Oakland, Livingston) cluster at the bottom; lower-income, economically stressed counties (Kalamazoo, Genesee) sit at the top. This is consistent with national research linking obesity to food environment, access to recreation, stress, and income constraints on food quality choices.

Explore county health dashboards: Genesee | Washtenaw | Kalamazoo

Adult Smoking Rate

• Washtenaw County: 10.8%
• Oakland County: 10.9%
• Livingston County: 12.0%
• Ottawa County: 12.1%
• Kent County: 13.2%
• Kalamazoo County: 14.0%
• Ingham County: 14.6%
• Macomb County: 15.4%
• Wayne County: 17.2%
• Genesee County: 17.4%

The smoking ranking tracks almost identically to the obesity ranking. Genesee and Wayne counties, with the most economic stress, show rates 60–70% above the levels in Washtenaw and Oakland. Michigan's overall adult smoking rate runs around 16%, placing the more affluent counties well below the state average.

Depression Prevalence

• Oakland County: 21.5%
• Wayne County: 24.9%
• Livingston County: 26.6%
• Washtenaw County: 26.7%
• Ingham County: 26.9%
• Macomb County: 26.9%
• Ottawa County: 27.0%
• Kent County: 27.7%
• Genesee County: 28.3%
• Kalamazoo County: 29.1%

Depression shows a less clean income gradient than obesity or smoking. Oakland County leads at 21.5%, well below the rest. But Wayne County — the most economically distressed — ranks second-lowest at 24.9%, while wealthier Livingston and Washtenaw sit in the middle. This divergence is consistent with research showing that depression measurement via self-report varies by cultural context, mental health literacy, and willingness to acknowledge diagnosis — factors that don't map simply to income.

Kalamazoo County at 29.1% has the highest measured depression rate in the Michigan Signals group, a finding worth watching given its mid-tier economic position. Kalamazoo also has the highest mental health practices per 100k (74.7) of the mid-income counties, which may reflect higher measurement of depression in areas with more mental health provider access.

What These Numbers Mean

County-level health rates are population averages. They mask within-county variation that is often significant — particularly in large counties like Wayne and Oakland where urban and suburban communities have very different conditions. They also reflect the survey methodology of BRFSS, which relies on self-report and may undercount health conditions in communities with lower healthcare engagement.

The Michigan Signals health data should be read as directional indicators, not precise measurements. The rank orderings are meaningful; the precise percentages carry more uncertainty. You can compare state and national averages for each metric on the Michigan Signals county dashboards.

Data Sources

• CDC PLACES (2024): County-level small area estimates derived from BRFSS, Census, and ACS data using multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP). CDC PLACES