Health Profile of Nelson County, Virginia
Nelson 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
Nelson County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.1% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 16.8% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Nelson County is 77.8 years, about 0.5 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 7.1%, higher than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 16.8% of residents, lower than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,204 residents in Nelson County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 320 79 men · 241 women
- 75–84 1,085 537 men · 548 women
- 65–74 2,358 1,131 men · 1,227 women
- 50–64 3,441 1,681 men · 1,761 women
Younger residents
2,602 residents in Nelson County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 807 454 boys · 353 girls
- 7–12 792 400 boys · 392 girls
- 3–7 583 286 boys · 296 girls
- 0–3 420 223 boys · 197 girls
About 1,036 residents in Nelson County (7.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.9% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 8.0% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.6% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 35.6% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Nelson County is about 18% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.1% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 14.0% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 24.6% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Nelson County are about the same as in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 21,983 cigarettes a day, 659,494 a month, or 8.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 241,814 minutes a day and 88.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nelson County is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.16 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 | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.98 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Nelson County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Nelson County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Nelson County, VA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 14,732 residents against a local median of 31,478. Nothing separates Nelson County, VA sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 5% above the local median at 7.1% against 6.8%. Nelson County, VA has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, VA | 14,732 | 77.8 yrs #3/4 | 7.1% #3/4 | 35.6% #2/4 |
| Amherst County, VA | 31,478 | 76.7 yrs | 6.8% | 37.4% |
| Albemarle County, VA | 114,898 | 81.0 yrs | 5.9% | 26.8% |
| Buckingham County, VA | 16,972 | 77.8 yrs | 9.2% | 42.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Nelson 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 Nelson County, Virginia.
What is the health grade for Nelson County, Virginia?
Nelson 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 Nelson County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Nelson County ranks 66th 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 average lifespan in Nelson County, Virginia?
People in Nelson County, Virginia can expect to live 77.8 years on average, 0.5 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Nelson County, Virginia?
7.1% of residents in Nelson County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, about the same as the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
How common is obesity in Nelson County, Virginia?
35.6% of adults in Nelson County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 0.7 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Nelson County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 21,983 cigarettes a day, 659,494 a month, or 8.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 241,814 minutes a day and 88.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nelson County is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.16 lifetimes a year.
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