Health Profile of Northumberland County, Virginia
Northumberland 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
Northumberland County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Northumberland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.6% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.4% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Northumberland County is 78.6 years, about 1.3 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.6%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.4% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,216 residents in Northumberland County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 379 155 men · 224 women
- 75–84 1,573 793 men · 780 women
- 65–74 2,315 1,058 men · 1,257 women
- 50–64 2,949 1,372 men · 1,577 women
Younger residents
1,737 residents in Northumberland County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 597 272 boys · 325 girls
- 7–12 505 264 boys · 241 girls
- 3–7 364 178 boys · 186 girls
- 0–3 271 126 boys · 146 girls
About 1,342 residents in Northumberland County (11.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Northumberland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.6% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 9.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.2% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 36.0% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Northumberland County is about 39% higher than in Virginia. The rate of heart disease in Northumberland County is about 36% higher than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Northumberland County is about 28% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Northumberland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.3% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.0% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 25.5% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Northumberland County is about 21% lower than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 17,155 cigarettes a day, 514,647 a month, or 6.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 188,704 minutes a day and 68.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Northumberland County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.67 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 | Northumberland County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.44 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Northumberland County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Northumberland County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Northumberland County, VA is typical in size for this group, 12,188 residents against a local median of 10,847, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Northumberland County, VA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 19% above the local median of 5.6% at 6.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.0% on uninsured, so Northumberland County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Northumberland County, VA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland County, VA | 12,188 | 78.6 yrs #3/6 | 6.6% #5/6 | 36.0% #4/6 |
| Lancaster County, VA | 10,936 | 78.4 yrs | 6.5% | 34.8% |
| Middlesex County, VA | 10,847 | 78.0 yrs | 5.6% | 34.1% |
| Richmond County, VA | 9,095 | 78.2 yrs | 5.2% | 40.0% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 115,126 | 80.8 yrs | 3.9% | 36.8% |
| Mathews County, VA | 8,540 | 82.0 yrs | 6.8% | 34.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Northumberland 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 Northumberland County, Virginia.
How healthy is Northumberland County, Virginia?
Northumberland 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 Northumberland County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Northumberland County ranks 78th 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 Northumberland County, Virginia?
People in Northumberland County, Virginia can expect to live 78.6 years on average, 1.3 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Northumberland County, Virginia?
6.6% of residents in Northumberland County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, about the same as the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Northumberland County, Virginia residents are obese?
36.0% of adults in Northumberland County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Northumberland County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, heart disease stands out most: the adult rate here is 9.2%, about 36% higher than the Virginia rate of 6.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Northumberland County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 17,155 cigarettes a day, 514,647 a month, or 6.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 188,704 minutes a day and 68.9 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Northumberland County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.67 lifetimes a year.
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