Health Profile of Lancaster County, Virginia
Lancaster 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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B
Lancaster County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lancaster County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.5% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.0% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lancaster County is 78.4 years, about 1.1 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.5%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.0% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
6,412 residents in Lancaster County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 583 230 men · 353 women
- 75–84 1,285 564 men · 721 women
- 65–74 2,046 981 men · 1,066 women
- 50–64 2,497 1,134 men · 1,363 women
Younger residents
1,567 residents in Lancaster County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 534 257 boys · 276 girls
- 7–12 475 259 boys · 216 girls
- 3–7 333 184 boys · 148 girls
- 0–3 225 126 boys · 99 girls
About 1,349 residents in Lancaster County (12.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lancaster County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.1% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 10.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.5% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.8% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Lancaster County is about 47% higher than in Virginia. The rate of heart disease in Lancaster County is about 40% higher than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Lancaster County is about 24% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lancaster County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.5% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.3% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.6% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Lancaster County is about 26% lower than in Virginia. The rate of smoking in Lancaster County is about 18% lower than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,458 cigarettes a day, 433,747 a month, or 5.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 159,041 minutes a day and 58.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 78.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.41 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 | Lancaster County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.47 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lancaster County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lancaster County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lancaster County, VA is typical in size for this group, 10,936 residents against a local median of 10,847, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Lancaster County, VA's uninsured, at 6.5%, runs 17% above the 5.6% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.9% on uninsured, so Lancaster County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lancaster County, VA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, VA | 10,936 | 78.4 yrs #3/6 | 6.5% #4/6 | 34.8% #3/6 |
| Middlesex County, VA | 10,847 | 78.0 yrs | 5.6% | 34.1% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 12,188 | 78.6 yrs | 6.6% | 36.0% |
| Gloucester County, VA | 39,526 | 77.7 yrs | 4.9% | 35.8% |
| Mathews County, VA | 8,540 | 82.0 yrs | 6.8% | 34.5% |
| Richmond County, VA | 9,095 | 78.2 yrs | 5.2% | 40.0% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lancaster County, Virginia has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Virginia, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Lancaster County, Virginia.
What is the health grade for Lancaster County, Virginia?
Lancaster County, 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 Lancaster County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Lancaster County ranks 71st 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 Lancaster County, Virginia?
People in Lancaster County, Virginia can expect to live 78.4 years on average, 1.1 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What percentage of Lancaster County, Virginia residents are uninsured?
6.5% of residents in Lancaster County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, about the same as the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Lancaster County, Virginia residents are obese?
34.8% of adults in Lancaster County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.5 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Lancaster County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 9.5%, about 40% higher than the Virginia rate of 6.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lancaster County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,458 cigarettes a day, 433,747 a month, or 5.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 159,041 minutes a day and 58.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lancaster County is 78.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.41 lifetimes a year.
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