Health Profile of Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg 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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D
Petersburg Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Petersburg | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 72.3 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.5% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 25.5% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Petersburg is 72.3 years, about 5.0 years shorter 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 25.5% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
12,000 residents in Petersburg are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 665 156 men · 509 women
- 75–84 1,641 595 men · 1,046 women
- 65–74 3,182 1,308 men · 1,875 women
- 50–64 6,511 2,915 men · 3,596 women
Younger residents
7,178 residents in Petersburg are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,690 852 boys · 837 girls
- 7–12 1,974 990 boys · 984 girls
- 3–7 1,930 962 boys · 968 girls
- 0–3 1,584 781 boys · 803 girls
About 2,970 residents in Petersburg (8.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 72.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Petersburg | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 18.8% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.6% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 47.0% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Petersburg is about 54% higher than in Virginia. The rate of obesity in Petersburg is about 29% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Petersburg | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.5% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.4% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 34.0% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Petersburg is about 37% higher than in Virginia. The rate of binge drinking in Petersburg is about 25% lower than in Virginia. The rate of smoking in Petersburg is about 24% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 60,100 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 21.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 661,101 minutes a day and 241.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Petersburg is 72.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.35 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 | Petersburg | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.42 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Petersburg is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Petersburg, Virginia has an overall health index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Virginia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Petersburg, Virginia.
Is Petersburg, Virginia a healthy place to live?
Petersburg, Virginia has a Map AI Health Index grade of D, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a D grade means residents face somewhat worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
How long do people live in Petersburg, Virginia?
People in Petersburg, Virginia can expect to live 72.3 years on average, 5.0 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What percentage of Petersburg, Virginia residents are uninsured?
6.5% of residents in Petersburg, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, about the same as the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What percentage of Petersburg, Virginia residents are obese?
47.0% of adults in Petersburg, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 10.7 points above the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Petersburg, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 18.8%, about 54% higher than the Virginia rate of 12.2%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Petersburg, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 60,100 cigarettes a day, 1.8 million a month, or 21.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 661,101 minutes a day and 241.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Petersburg is 72.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 6.35 lifetimes a year.
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