Health Profile of Bedford County, Virginia
Bedford 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
Bedford County Around averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.7% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.1% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Bedford County is 77.7 years, about 0.4 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 5.7%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.1% of residents, lower than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
35,666 residents in Bedford County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,632 685 men · 947 women
- 75–84 5,014 2,278 men · 2,735 women
- 65–74 10,137 5,028 men · 5,109 women
- 50–64 18,883 9,318 men · 9,566 women
Younger residents
15,560 residents in Bedford County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,964 2,319 boys · 2,645 girls
- 7–12 4,896 2,538 boys · 2,358 girls
- 3–7 3,493 1,789 boys · 1,704 girls
- 0–3 2,207 1,053 boys · 1,154 girls
About 4,991 residents in Bedford County (6.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.6% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 33.3% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Bedford County are about the same as in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.3% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.2% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.7% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Bedford County is about 17% lower than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 119,659 cigarettes a day, 3.6 million a month, or 43.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 480.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bedford County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 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 | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.46 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Bedford County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Bedford County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bedford County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | 81,013 | 77.7 yrs #2/3 | 5.7% #3/3 | 33.3% #1/3 |
| Botetourt County, VA | 34,003 | 78.0 yrs | 5.0% | 35.7% |
| Campbell County, VA | 55,757 | 76.5 yrs | 4.7% | 39.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Bedford County, Virginia has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Virginia, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Bedford County, Virginia.
How healthy is Bedford County, Virginia?
Bedford County, Virginia 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 Bedford County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Bedford County ranks 41st 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 Bedford County, Virginia?
People in Bedford County, Virginia can expect to live 77.7 years on average, about the same as the Virginia average of 77.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Bedford County, Virginia?
5.7% of residents in Bedford County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 1.3 points below the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Bedford County, Virginia?
33.3% of adults in Bedford County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.1 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Bedford County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 119,659 cigarettes a day, 3.6 million a month, or 43.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 480.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Bedford County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 lifetimes a year.
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