Health Profile of Virginia
Virginia 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
Virginia Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Virginia
- Falls Church city (106% of U.S. avg)
- Arlington County (106% of U.S. avg)
- Fairfax County (105% of U.S. avg)
- Emporia city (93% of U.S. avg)
- Petersburg city (94% of U.S. avg)
- Galax city (95% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Virginia is 77.3 years, about 1.0 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.9%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.9% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,987,106 residents in Virginia are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 147,220 51,575 men · 95,644 women
- 75–84 394,981 168,160 men · 226,821 women
- 65–74 771,463 360,051 men · 411,413 women
- 50–64 1,673,442 819,265 men · 854,177 women
Younger residents
1,826,529 residents in Virginia are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 575,252 294,149 boys · 281,104 girls
- 7–12 542,183 280,342 boys · 261,841 girls
- 3–7 408,776 211,046 boys · 197,731 girls
- 0–3 300,318 153,156 boys · 147,162 girls
About 435,897 residents in Virginia (5.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Virginia are about the same as in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Virginia are about the same as in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 12.9 million cigarettes a day, 387.6 million a month, or 4.7 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 142.1 million minutes a day and 51.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Virginia is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 3.50 lifetimes a day, or 1,277 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 | Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Virginia is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Virginia Health Compared With Nearby States
Virginia is the 3rd largest of the 6 states compared here, 8,702,460 residents against a local median of 6,204,886. Where Virginia breaks from the states next to it is uninsured, sitting 15% above the local median of 6.0% at 6.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 6.2% on uninsured, so Virginia sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Virginia has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 8,702,460 | 77.3 yrs #3/6 | 6.9% #5/6 | 36.3% #5/6 |
| North Carolina | 10,724,323 | 77.1 yrs | 9.9% | 35.8% |
| District of Columbia | 678,314 | 76.4 yrs | 3.6% | 25.3% |
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | 76.1 yrs | 6.0% | 40.3% |
| Maryland | 6,204,886 | 78.4 yrs | 6.3% | 34.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 13,004,688 | 78.4 yrs | 5.6% | 34.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Virginia has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Virginia.
What is the health grade for Virginia?
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 Virginia one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Virginia ranks 33rd healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Virginia?
People in Virginia can expect to live 77.3 years on average, 1.0 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Virginia?
6.9% of residents in Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 1.5 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
What percentage of Virginia residents are obese?
36.3% of adults in Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.1 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 12.9 million cigarettes a day, 387.6 million a month, or 4.7 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 142.1 million minutes a day and 51.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Virginia is 77.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 3.50 lifetimes a day, or 1,277 lifetimes a year.
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