Health Profile of Dickenson County, Virginia
Dickenson 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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C
Dickenson County Below averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.6 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.3% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Dickenson County is 73.6 years, about 3.7 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 4.3%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.6% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
5,978 residents in Dickenson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 292 87 men · 205 women
- 75–84 971 448 men · 524 women
- 65–74 1,713 833 men · 880 women
- 50–64 3,002 1,555 men · 1,446 women
Younger residents
2,540 residents in Dickenson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 874 460 boys · 414 girls
- 7–12 752 408 boys · 344 girls
- 3–7 517 274 boys · 242 girls
- 0–3 397 205 boys · 192 girls
About 1,493 residents in Dickenson County (10.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.1% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.5% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Dickenson County is about 34% higher than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Dickenson County is about 16% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.9% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.7% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.2% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Dickenson County is about 42% higher than in Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Dickenson County is about 26% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 29,842 cigarettes a day, 895,257 a month, or 10.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 328,261 minutes a day and 119.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dickenson County is 73.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.10 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 | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.00 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Dickenson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Dickenson County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Dickenson County, VA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 13,730 residents against a local median of 30,481. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Dickenson County, VA an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 8% below the local median at 4.3% against 4.7%. Dickenson County, VA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickenson County, VA | 13,730 | 73.6 yrs #4/5 | 4.3% #2/5 | 37.5% #1/5 |
| Wise County, VA | 35,431 | 74.0 yrs | 6.5% | 37.5% |
| Russell County, VA | 25,530 | 76.2 yrs | 4.7% | 39.9% |
| Buchanan County, VA | 19,415 | 74.2 yrs | 4.8% | 40.0% |
| Pike County, KY | 56,725 | 72.7 yrs | 4.1% | 39.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dickenson County, Virginia has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Virginia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Dickenson County, Virginia.
Is Dickenson County, Virginia a healthy place to live?
Dickenson County, Virginia has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Dickenson County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Dickenson County ranks 123rd 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 life expectancy in Dickenson County, Virginia?
People in Dickenson County, Virginia can expect to live 73.6 years on average, 3.7 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Dickenson County, Virginia?
4.3% of residents in Dickenson County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 23 people, 2.6 points below the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Dickenson County, Virginia residents are obese?
37.5% of adults in Dickenson County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.1 points above the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Dickenson County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 26.9%, about 42% higher than the Virginia rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Dickenson County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 29,842 cigarettes a day, 895,257 a month, or 10.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 328,261 minutes a day and 119.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dickenson County is 73.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.10 lifetimes a year.
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