Health Profile of Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax 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
Fairfax Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Fairfax | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 82.6 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.5% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 10.2% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Fairfax is 82.6 years, about 5.3 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 8.5%, higher than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 10.2% of residents, lower than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,413 residents in Fairfax are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 486 126 men · 360 women
- 75–84 1,047 404 men · 644 women
- 65–74 2,001 966 men · 1,035 women
- 50–64 4,879 2,399 men · 2,480 women
Younger residents
5,459 residents in Fairfax are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,519 766 boys · 752 girls
- 7–12 1,491 776 boys · 715 girls
- 3–7 1,332 671 boys · 661 girls
- 0–3 1,117 555 boys · 563 girls
About 702 residents in Fairfax (2.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 82.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Fairfax | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.9% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.8% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.4% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Fairfax is about 30% lower than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Fairfax is about 27% lower than in Virginia. The rate of obesity in Fairfax is about 22% lower than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Fairfax | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.8% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.2% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Fairfax is about 43% lower than in Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Fairfax is about 31% lower than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 20,360 cigarettes a day, 610,787 a month, or 7.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 223,955 minutes a day and 81.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Fairfax is 82.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 1.88 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 | Fairfax | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.91 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Fairfax is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Fairfax, VA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Fairfax, VA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax, VA | 25,027 | 82.6 yrs #2/2 | 8.5% #2/2 | 28.4% #2/2 |
| Oakton, VA | 37,572 | 82.8 yrs | 5.2% | 22.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Fairfax, Virginia has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than Virginia, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Fairfax, Virginia.
Is Fairfax, Virginia a healthy place to live?
Fairfax, 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 much healthier than the U.S. average.
What is the average lifespan in Fairfax, Virginia?
People in Fairfax, Virginia can expect to live 82.6 years on average, 5.3 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What percentage of Fairfax, Virginia residents are uninsured?
8.5% of residents in Fairfax, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.5 points above the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Fairfax, Virginia residents are obese?
28.4% of adults in Fairfax, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 7.9 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Fairfax, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 20,360 cigarettes a day, 610,787 a month, or 7.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 223,955 minutes a day and 81.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Fairfax is 82.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 1.88 lifetimes a year.
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