Health Profile of Lee County, Virginia
Lee 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
Lee County Below averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Lee County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.0% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 22.5% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Lee County is 77.0 years, about 0.3 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 7.0%, higher than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 22.5% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
9,140 residents in Lee County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 363 142 men · 221 women
- 75–84 1,439 624 men · 815 women
- 65–74 2,626 1,263 men · 1,363 women
- 50–64 4,712 2,374 men · 2,338 women
Younger residents
3,957 residents in Lee County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,314 672 boys · 642 girls
- 7–12 1,190 620 boys · 570 girls
- 3–7 844 442 boys · 402 girls
- 0–3 608 315 boys · 294 girls
About 1,488 residents in Lee County (6.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Lee County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.1% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.7% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.7% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Lee County is about 29% higher than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Lee County is about 15% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Lee County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.9% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.5% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.7% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Lee County is about 37% higher than in Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Lee County is about 24% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 46,399 cigarettes a day, 1.4 million a month, or 16.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 510,390 minutes a day and 186.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lee County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.60 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 | Lee County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.12 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Lee County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Lee County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Lee County, VA is typical in size for this group, 21,899 residents against a local median of 20,808, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Lee County, VA apart most is uninsured: 7.0%, 41% above the local median of 4.9%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.9% on uninsured, so Lee County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lee County, VA has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, VA | 21,899 | 77.0 yrs #1/6 | 7.0% #4/6 | 38.7% #1/6 |
| Harlan County, KY | 25,771 | 73.1 yrs | 4.9% | 45.0% |
| Hancock County, TN | 6,852 | 72.7 yrs | 11.3% | 40.4% |
| Hawkins County, TN | 57,964 | 74.2 yrs | 9.6% | 40.1% |
| Leslie County, KY | 10,079 | 74.0 yrs | 2.3% | 42.2% |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | 72.9 yrs | 3.4% | 45.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lee 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 Lee County, Virginia.
How healthy is Lee County, Virginia?
Lee 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 Lee County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Lee County ranks 121st 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.
How long do people live in Lee County, Virginia?
People in Lee County, Virginia can expect to live 77.0 years on average, about the same as the Virginia average of 77.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Lee County, Virginia?
7.0% of residents in Lee County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, about the same as the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Lee County, Virginia residents are obese?
38.7% of adults in Lee County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.3 points above the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Lee County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 25.9%, about 37% higher than the Virginia rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Lee County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 46,399 cigarettes a day, 1.4 million a month, or 16.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 510,390 minutes a day and 186.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Lee County is 77.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 4.60 lifetimes a year.
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