Health Profile of Highland County, Virginia
Highland 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
Highland County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Highland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.9% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.1% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Highland County is 77.6 years, about 0.3 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 3.9%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.1% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,393 residents in Highland County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 79 36 men · 43 women
- 75–84 234 96 men · 138 women
- 65–74 451 226 men · 225 women
- 50–64 629 289 men · 340 women
Younger residents
299 residents in Highland County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 96 36 boys · 60 girls
- 7–12 99 27 boys · 72 girls
- 3–7 66 24 boys · 42 girls
- 0–3 39 21 boys · 18 girls
About 232 residents in Highland County (10.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Highland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.2% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.9% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.6% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Highland County is about 35% higher than in Virginia. The rate of heart disease in Highland County is about 31% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Highland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.2% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.9% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.7% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Highland County are about the same as in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3,571 cigarettes a day, 107,125 a month, or 1.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 39,279 minutes a day and 14.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Highland County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.35 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 | Highland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.09 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Highland County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Highland County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Highland County, VA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 2,296 residents against a local median of 7,784. The measure that sets Highland County, VA apart most is uninsured: 3.9%, 41% below the local median of 6.6%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.7% on uninsured, so Highland County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Highland County, VA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland County, VA | 2,296 | 77.6 yrs #4/6 | 3.9% #2/6 | 34.6% #1/6 |
| Bath County, VA | 4,100 | 77.4 yrs | 2.5% | 39.6% |
| Pendleton County, WV | 6,043 | 80.5 yrs | 6.8% | 36.4% |
| Pocahontas County, WV | 7,784 | 75.2 yrs | 6.1% | 38.6% |
| Augusta County, VA | 78,033 | 78.3 yrs | 6.6% | 35.5% |
| Randolph County, WV | 27,576 | 79.6 yrs | 7.1% | 39.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Highland County, Virginia has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Virginia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Highland County, Virginia.
What is the health grade for Highland County, Virginia?
Highland 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 Highland County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Highland County ranks 82nd 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 Highland County, Virginia?
People in Highland County, Virginia can expect to live 77.6 years on average, about the same as the Virginia average of 77.3.
What percentage of Highland County, Virginia residents are uninsured?
3.9% of residents in Highland County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 26 people, 3.0 points below the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
How common is obesity in Highland County, Virginia?
34.6% of adults in Highland County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Highland County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 8.9%, about 31% higher than the Virginia rate of 6.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Highland County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3,571 cigarettes a day, 107,125 a month, or 1.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 39,279 minutes a day and 14.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Highland County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 0.35 lifetimes a year.
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