Health Profile of Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington 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+
Arlington County Top gradeAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 8.0% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Arlington County is 81.8 years, about 4.6 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 5.3%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 8.0% of residents, lower than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
64,296 residents in Arlington County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 3,296 1,250 men · 2,046 women
- 75–84 6,931 2,940 men · 3,992 women
- 65–74 14,821 7,152 men · 7,669 women
- 50–64 39,248 20,298 men · 18,950 women
Younger residents
38,687 residents in Arlington County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 10,485 5,353 boys · 5,131 girls
- 7–12 11,298 5,930 boys · 5,368 girls
- 3–7 9,545 4,961 boys · 4,584 girls
- 0–3 7,360 3,731 boys · 3,628 girls
About 5,036 residents in Arlington County (2.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.4% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.5% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 3.2% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.1% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Arlington County is about 52% lower than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Arlington County is about 47% lower than in Virginia. The rate of cancer in Arlington County is about 33% lower than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 9.5% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.1% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 13.7% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Arlington County is about 50% lower than in Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Arlington County is about 45% lower than in Virginia. The rate of binge drinking in Arlington County is about 32% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 184,063 cigarettes a day, 5.5 million a month, or 67.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 739.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Arlington County is 81.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 17 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 | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.58 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Arlington County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Arlington County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
How Arlington County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County, VA | 236,150 | 81.8 yrs #2/3 | 5.3% #2/3 | 27.1% #3/3 |
| District of Columbia, DC | 678,314 | 76.4 yrs | 3.6% | 25.3% |
| Fairfax County, VA | 1,147,383 | 82.6 yrs | 7.1% | 22.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Arlington County, Virginia has an overall health index grade of A+, making it far better than Virginia, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Arlington County, Virginia.
How healthy is Arlington County, Virginia?
Arlington County, Virginia 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 among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
Is Arlington County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Arlington County ranks 2nd healthiest out of 133 counties in Virginia by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Arlington County, Virginia?
People in Arlington County, Virginia can expect to live 81.8 years on average, 4.6 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Arlington County, Virginia?
5.3% of residents in Arlington County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 1.6 points below the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
How common is obesity in Arlington County, Virginia?
27.1% of adults in Arlington County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 9.3 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
What health issue is more common in Arlington County, Virginia than elsewhere?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 20.1%, about 32% higher than the Virginia rate of 15.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Arlington County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 184,063 cigarettes a day, 5.5 million a month, or 67.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.0 million minutes a day and 739.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Arlington County is 81.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.05 lifetimes a day, or 17 lifetimes a year.
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