Observed data: CDC PLACES 2023 (BRFSS 2021–22) county-level prevalence loaded for Midland County. Mortality from CDC WONDER 2020–22. Methods →
Isabella 15,430 DALYs · pop 64,565 Clare 8,198 DALYs · pop 30,013
Midland 14,335 DALYs · pop 82,884
Gratiot Q3 2026

Midland County Health Burden Analysis

Population 82,884 · Industrial economy · Planning-grade DALY estimates · June 2026

14,335
DALYs/yr (MI LE 78.6)
Michigan LE 78.6 yrs · YLL 6,506 + YLD 9,331
~20,700
DALYs/yr (Frontier LE 89.1)
Frontier LE 89.1 yrs · Higher YLL under longer standard
592
Est. annual deaths
~714/100k · Similar to MI avg 783
$889M
Economic burden (human capital)
DALYs × $62,000 GDP/capita · VSL: $7.2B
82,884
County population
Census ACS 2022 · FIPS 26111 · Dow Chemical HQ
Michigan LE 78.6 yrs + MH remission-adjustment. Midland County: industrial economy, Dow Chemical HQ, lower poverty than rural neighbors, higher median income ($62,000).
Jump to: KPIs Charts Economic Burden DALY Table Key Findings Recommendations
~714/100k
Estimated mortality rate per 100k
▼ Below MI avg 783 · Industrial economy advantage
167
Cancer deaths/yr (est.) — #1 burden driver
160/100k · Similar to MI avg 161 · 3,457 DALYs
9.0%
Poverty rate (ACS 2022)
▼ vs MI 15% · Higher median income $62,000
40.5%
Adult obesity (state proxy)
▲ vs MI 36.7% · Key SDOH risk factor
14,335
MI LE
|
~20,700
Frontier LE
Estimated DALYs/year · YLL + YLD
CDC PLACES 2023 · Age-adjusted prevalence
$62K
Median household income
▲ vs MI ~$63K · Dow Chemical industrial base

DALYs by Condition

Disability-Adjusted Life Years · Michigan LE 78.6 · ranked by burden

Interactive — use LE standard and MH prevalence toggles above to recalculate.

Abbreviations: DALY = disability-adjusted life year · YLL = years of life lost · YLD = years lived with disability · MH = mental health · SUD = substance use · CVD = cardiovascular disease · COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · DM = type-2 diabetes

Comorbidity Co-occurrence — Expected Counts

Expected cases with both conditions simultaneously · independence model · Midland County n=82,884 · hover cell for DW product & DALY correction

DM+Cancer highest pair (364 expected co-occurring cases). Independence-model planning estimate (prevalence × prevalence × adult population), consistent with the Isabella methodology. Largest DALY-correction pairs: SUD+Cancer (−29.6), SUD+MH (−25.8), Cancer+MH (−24.3).

Abbreviations: MH = mental health · SUD = substance use · CVD = cardiovascular disease · COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · DM = type-2 diabetes · DW = disability weight · DALY = disability-adjusted life year

Social Determinants vs Michigan Average

% of population · State-rate proxies scaled to Midland demographics · ACS 2022

Economic Burden by Condition

Annual productivity loss · DALYs × $62K GDP per capita (human-capital method)

Cancer (~$214M/yr), substance use (~$204M/yr), and mental health (~$201M/yr) are Midland's costliest conditions. Each averted DALY ≈ $62,000 recovered productivity — the ROI basis for employer and grant partnerships. Reactive to the toggles above.

Abbreviations: MH = mental health · SUD = substance use · CVD = cardiovascular disease · COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · DM = type-2 diabetes · DALY = disability-adjusted life year

Economic Burden

Human Capital + Value of Statistical Life approaches · Midland County pop. 82,884

🏭 Dow Chemical HQ — $62,000 median income baseline

Human Capital Method

$889M
14,335 DALYs × $62,000 GDP/capita
Lost economic productivity from premature death (YLL) and disability (YLD). Reflects Midland's higher-than-rural median income driven by industrial and chemical sector employment.

Value of Statistical Life

$7,235M
592 deaths × $12.2M VSL (income-adjusted)
Willingness-to-pay based VSL. Includes mortality only — does not capture morbidity burden. VSL income-adjusted for $62,000 median income. Full morbidity burden adds ~$889M.
Note: Human Capital ($889M) is the conservative floor — it captures what's measurable in productivity terms. VSL ($7.2B) reflects societal willingness-to-pay to prevent death and is the standard for federal cost-benefit analysis (EPA, DOT, HHS). Both figures are based on observed CDC PLACES 2023 prevalence data. Cancer dominates economic burden: 3,457 DALYs × $62,000 = ~$214M in HC terms alone.

Disease Burden Detail

Michigan LE 78.6 yrs · No discounting (WHO standard) · Population 82,884

Condition Prevalence Prevalent Cases Deaths/yr (est.) Mean Age at Death YLL DW YLD DALYs Data Source

Prevalence from CDC PLACES 2023 (BRFSS 2021–22) county-level estimates. Mortality from CDC WONDER 2020–22 3-year pooled. YLL and YLD are planning-grade estimates. * MH YLD uses active disease prevalence (14.1% = 28.1% × 0.50 remission factor) when remission-adjusted mode is selected.

Methodology
Two standards, one county
Both estimates are valid — they answer different questions about burden.
Primary · MI LE 78.6
14,335
Michigan state life expectancy · Local planning standard · YLL 6,506 + YLD 9,331
Cancer #1 · MH #2 · SUD #3
+MH Remission Adj. ×0.50
14,468
Active burden ×0.50 = 14.1% active MH prevalence. Reduces MH YLD 2,735 → 1,368.
Cancer #1 · MH #2 · SUD #3
Sensitivity · Frontier LE 89.1
~20,700
WHO GBD frontier LE · Enables cross-county comparison · Higher YLL under longer standard
Cancer #1 · CVD #2 · SUD #3
Note: Prevalence from CDC PLACES 2023 (BRFSS 2021–22), age-adjusted county-level estimates. Mortality from CDC WONDER 2020–22 3-year pooled. No discounting or age-weighting (WHO standard). Disability weights: IHME GBD 2021.

Key Findings

Cancer Leads Burden — 3,457 DALYs/yr · 167 Deaths

Cancer is the #1 disease burden driver with 3,457 DALYs/yr and 167 estimated deaths annually. Per-capita cancer mortality (~160/100k) is nearly identical to the Michigan state average (161/100k), reflecting Midland's less-rural population with better healthcare access than counties like Clare. Despite overall lower mortality, the large population base (82,884) means the absolute burden is substantial. Cancer screening and early detection are high-priority interventions.

Mental Health #2 — 3,319 DALYs/yr · Predominantly YLD-Driven

Mental health disorders rank second with 3,319 DALYs/yr — predominantly from disability (YLD: 2,735 raw, 1,368 remission-adjusted) rather than premature death. The 28.1% prevalence estimate (state proxy) is notable in Midland's context: the Dow Chemical industrial workforce faces specific occupational stress and potential chemical exposure burdens not fully captured in general prevalence data. Workplace-based mental health programs represent a key partnership opportunity.

SUD Third — 3,101 DALYs/yr · 48 Estimated Deaths

Substance use disorders rank third with 3,101 DALYs/yr and 48 estimated annual deaths. The opioid mortality rate (~58/100k estimated) is lower than Clare County (~47/100k direct) when adjusted for population, but Midland's larger population base (82,884 vs 30,013) means the absolute number of deaths is substantially higher. SUD kills at a mean age of 44 — among the youngest of any condition — maximizing years of life lost per death.

Dow Chemical SDOH Context — Industrial Economy Advantage and Burden

Midland is home to Dow Chemical global headquarters. Higher median income ($62,000) and lower poverty (9.0% vs MI 15%) create a better health baseline than rural neighbors Isabella and Clare. However, the industrial workforce carries specific occupational health exposures — chemical, respiratory, and stress-related — that are not captured in the standard DALY framework. Dow's scale also presents a major corporate wellness and workplace health partnership opportunity.

Abbreviations: DALY Disability-Adjusted Life Year  ·  YLL Years of Life Lost (premature mortality)  ·  YLD Years Lived with Disability  ·  MH Mental Health Disorders  ·  SUD Substance Use Disorders  ·  CVD Cardiovascular Disease  ·  COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  ·  DM Diabetes Mellitus Type 2  ·  DW Disability Weight (IHME GBD 2021)  ·  LE Life Expectancy  ·  HC Human Capital  ·  VSL Value of Statistical Life  ·  CHNA Community Health Needs Assessment

Evidence-Based Recommendations

Prioritized by DALY impact and Midland County context · Industrial economy + Dow Chemical partnership opportunities

1
Cancer screening outreach — industrial workforce focus

Cancer · 3,457 DALYs · 167 deaths/yr · Expand colorectal, lung, and breast screening to at-risk industrial and chemical workforce segments; Dow Chemical and supplier employer partnerships for occupational screening programs

Strong
2
SUD harm reduction — naloxone, MOUD at primary care

SUD · 3,267 DALYs · 7.3% prevalence · 48 deaths/yr · Naloxone community access, Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) at primary care sites; binge drinking 19.0% is above state average (17.5%)

Strong
3
MH workplace programs — Dow Chemical partnership

Mental Health · 3,231 DALYs · 27.2% prevalence · Employee Assistance Program expansion, stress/burnout reduction, occupational psychological safety initiatives; leverage Dow's scale for population-level impact

Strong
4
COPD occupational monitoring — chemical exposure tracking

COPD · 1,150 DALYs · 6.3% prevalence · Industrial chemical exposure surveillance for Dow and downstream employers; spirometry screening for at-risk workers; smoking cessation integration (13.5% smokers)

Moderate–Strong
5
PFAS health surveillance — cancer registry linkage

Cancer · 3,457 DALYs · 7.7% prevalence · Establish PFAS-exposed worker registry and cancer incidence tracking; Dow legacy contamination may underestimate true cancer burden beyond PLACES estimates

Moderate
Data sources — methodology note. Prevalence from CDC PLACES 2023 (BRFSS 2021–22), age-adjusted county-level estimates for Midland County (FIPS 26111). Mortality from CDC WONDER 2020–22 3-year pooled. Disability weights from IHME GBD 2021. Methodological uncertainty ±15% inherent in the DALY framework. See Methods → for full data quality notes.