Health Profile of Smyth County, Virginia
Smyth 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
Smyth County Below averageLess healthy than 82% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Smyth County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.5% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Smyth County is 74.5 years, about 2.8 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 5.5%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.6% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
12,422 residents in Smyth County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 724 221 men · 503 women
- 75–84 1,979 869 men · 1,110 women
- 65–74 3,544 1,676 men · 1,868 women
- 50–64 6,175 3,079 men · 3,096 women
Younger residents
5,438 residents in Smyth County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,825 922 boys · 903 girls
- 7–12 1,614 798 boys · 817 girls
- 3–7 1,150 585 boys · 565 girls
- 0–3 848 438 boys · 410 girls
About 2,865 residents in Smyth County (9.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Smyth County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 13.3% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.7% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 8.3% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.2% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Smyth County is about 22% higher than in Virginia. The rate of obesity in Smyth County is about 16% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Smyth County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.0% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.2% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.5% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Smyth County is about 21% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 54,472 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 599,196 minutes a day and 218.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Smyth County is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 5.59 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 | Smyth County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.59 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Smyth County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Smyth County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Smyth County, VA is typical in size for this group, 29,374 residents against a local median of 28,184, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Smyth County, VA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 18% below the local median of 6.7% at 5.5%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.7% on uninsured, so Smyth County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Smyth County, VA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smyth County, VA | 29,374 | 74.5 yrs #5/6 | 5.5% #2/6 | 42.2% #6/6 |
| Tazewell County, VA | 39,616 | 73.3 yrs | 4.1% | 39.7% |
| Grayson County, VA | 15,277 | 76.9 yrs | 7.6% | 40.8% |
| Ashe County, NC | 26,946 | 77.5 yrs | 9.8% | 34.3% |
| Washington County, VA | 53,901 | 77.0 yrs | 6.7% | 33.1% |
| Wythe County, VA | 28,184 | 76.0 yrs | 6.0% | 40.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Smyth 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 Smyth County, Virginia.
How healthy is Smyth County, Virginia?
Smyth 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 Smyth County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Smyth County ranks 109th 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 Smyth County, Virginia?
People in Smyth County, Virginia can expect to live 74.5 years on average, 2.8 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Smyth County, Virginia?
5.5% of residents in Smyth County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, 1.5 points below the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Smyth County, Virginia?
42.2% of adults in Smyth County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 5.9 points above the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Smyth County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 23.0%, about 21% higher than the Virginia rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Smyth County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 54,472 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 599,196 minutes a day and 218.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Smyth County is 74.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 5.59 lifetimes a year.
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