Health Profile of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach 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
Virginia Beach Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Virginia Beach | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.3% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.9% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Virginia Beach is 78.5 years, about 1.2 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.3%, lower than the Virginia average of 6.9%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.9% of residents, lower than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
146,731 residents in Virginia Beach are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 7,294 2,541 men · 4,753 women
- 75–84 18,866 7,884 men · 10,982 women
- 65–74 36,914 16,640 men · 20,275 women
- 50–64 83,657 40,065 men · 43,593 women
Younger residents
97,300 residents in Virginia Beach are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 29,537 15,318 boys · 14,219 girls
- 7–12 29,258 15,021 boys · 14,237 girls
- 3–7 22,367 11,320 boys · 11,047 girls
- 0–3 16,138 8,199 boys · 7,939 girls
About 18,260 residents in Virginia Beach (4.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Virginia Beach | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.4% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.6% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.6% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.4% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Virginia Beach is about 33% lower than in Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Virginia Beach is about 23% lower than in Virginia. The rate of cancer in Virginia Beach is about 17% lower than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Virginia Beach | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.8% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.2% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.8% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Virginia Beach is about 22% lower than in Virginia. The rate of binge drinking in Virginia Beach is about 20% higher than in Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Virginia Beach is about 16% lower than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 528,945 cigarettes a day, 15.9 million a month, or 193.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.8 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Virginia Beach is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 51 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 | Virginia Beach | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.95 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Virginia Beach is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Virginia Beach, VA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
Virginia Beach, VA is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 456,072 residents against a local median of 185,422. Nothing separates Virginia Beach, VA sharply from the cities 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 obesity, 14% below the local median at 32.4% against 37.6%. Virginia Beach, VA has the lowest obesity of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | 456,072 | 78.5 yrs #1/5 | 6.3% #2/5 | 32.4% #1/5 |
| Norfolk, VA | 233,287 | 75.2 yrs | 9.1% | 37.6% |
| Chesapeake, VA | 252,549 | 77.2 yrs | 5.8% | 37.5% |
| Portsmouth, VA | 97,157 | 73.1 yrs | 7.4% | 42.5% |
| Hampton, VA | 137,557 | 75.6 yrs | 7.0% | 37.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach, Virginia.
What is the health grade for Virginia Beach, Virginia?
Virginia Beach, 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.
What is the life expectancy in Virginia Beach, Virginia?
People in Virginia Beach, Virginia can expect to live 78.5 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What percentage of Virginia Beach, Virginia residents are uninsured?
6.3% of residents in Virginia Beach, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, 0.6 points below the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
How common is obesity in Virginia Beach, Virginia?
32.4% of adults in Virginia Beach, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.9 points below the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Virginia Beach, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 528,945 cigarettes a day, 15.9 million a month, or 193.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.8 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Virginia Beach is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 51 lifetimes a year.
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