Health Profile of Essex County, Virginia
Essex 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
Essex County Below averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Essex County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.8% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.1% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Essex County is 78.0 years, about 0.7 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 8.8%, higher than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.1% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
4,777 residents in Essex County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 281 110 men · 171 women
- 75–84 655 304 men · 351 women
- 65–74 1,367 617 men · 749 women
- 50–64 2,474 1,175 men · 1,299 women
Younger residents
1,891 residents in Essex County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 597 279 boys · 318 girls
- 7–12 531 253 boys · 278 girls
- 3–7 420 186 boys · 235 girls
- 0–3 343 142 boys · 201 girls
About 691 residents in Essex County (6.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Essex County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.6% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.1% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.1% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Essex County is about 28% higher than in Virginia. The rate of heart disease in Essex County is about 19% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Essex County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.5% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.2% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.9% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Essex County is about 21% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 18,779 cigarettes a day, 563,360 a month, or 6.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 206,565 minutes a day and 75.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Essex County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 1.84 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 | Essex County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.68 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Essex County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Essex County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Essex County, VA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 10,620 residents against a local median of 18,593. Essex County, VA's uninsured, at 8.8%, runs 67% above the 5.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.9% on uninsured, so Essex County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Essex County, VA has the 6th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, VA | 10,620 | 78.0 yrs #4/6 | 8.8% #6/6 | 40.1% #5/6 |
| Richmond County, VA | 9,095 | 78.2 yrs | 5.2% | 40.0% |
| Westmoreland County, VA | 18,825 | 76.9 yrs | 8.2% | 40.6% |
| King and Queen County, VA | 6,696 | 78.5 yrs | 5.8% | 37.5% |
| King William County, VA | 18,593 | 75.9 yrs | 5.3% | 36.8% |
| King George County, VA | 27,895 | 78.9 yrs | 3.3% | 36.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Essex 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 Essex County, Virginia.
What is the health grade for Essex County, Virginia?
Essex 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 Essex County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Essex County ranks 96th 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 Essex County, Virginia?
People in Essex County, Virginia can expect to live 78.0 years on average, 0.7 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Essex County, Virginia?
8.8% of residents in Essex County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 1.9 points above the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
How common is obesity in Essex County, Virginia?
40.1% of adults in Essex County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 3.8 points above the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
What health issue is more common in Essex County, Virginia than elsewhere?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 15.6%, about 28% higher than the Virginia rate of 12.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Essex County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 18,779 cigarettes a day, 563,360 a month, or 6.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 206,565 minutes a day and 75.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Essex County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 1.84 lifetimes a year.
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