Health Profile of Wise County, Virginia
Wise 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
Wise County Below averageLess healthy than 87% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.5% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 20.9% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wise County is 74.0 years, about 3.2 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 20.9% of residents, higher than the Virginia average of 16.9%.
Population by Age
Older residents
13,542 residents in Wise County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 593 196 men · 397 women
- 75–84 1,840 811 men · 1,029 women
- 65–74 3,833 1,834 men · 1,999 women
- 50–64 7,276 3,757 men · 3,519 women
Younger residents
6,549 residents in Wise County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,096 1,118 boys · 978 girls
- 7–12 1,954 1,023 boys · 931 girls
- 3–7 1,447 725 boys · 722 girls
- 0–3 1,053 535 boys · 518 girls
About 2,776 residents in Wise County (7.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wise County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.9% | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.9% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.5% | 36.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Wise County is about 17% higher than in Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wise County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.8% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.2% | 15.2% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.0% | 24.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Wise County is about 36% higher than in Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Wise County is about 17% higher than in Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 73,838 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 27.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 812,223 minutes a day and 296.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wise County is 74.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.62 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 | Wise County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.93 | 6.12 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wise County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Wise County, VA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Wise County, VA is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 35,431 residents against a local median of 17,319. Where Wise County, VA breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 68% above the local median of 3.9% at 6.5%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.4% on uninsured, so Wise County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wise County, VA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise County, VA | 35,431 | 74.0 yrs #2/5 | 6.5% #5/5 | 37.5% #3/5 |
| Scott County, VA | 21,488 | 75.2 yrs | 5.9% | 35.9% |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | 72.9 yrs | 3.4% | 45.1% |
| Dickenson County, VA | 13,730 | 73.6 yrs | 4.3% | 37.5% |
| Knott County, KY | 13,830 | 73.8 yrs | 2.4% | 41.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wise 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 Wise County, Virginia.
How healthy is Wise County, Virginia?
Wise 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 Wise County, Virginia one of the healthiest counties in Virginia?
Wise County ranks 116th 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 life expectancy in Wise County, Virginia?
People in Wise County, Virginia can expect to live 74.0 years on average, 3.2 years shorter than the Virginia average of 77.3.
What percentage of Wise County, Virginia residents are uninsured?
6.5% of residents in Wise County, Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, about the same as the Virginia rate of 6.9%.
What is the obesity rate in Wise County, Virginia?
37.5% of adults in Wise County, Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.2 points above the Virginia rate of 36.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Wise County, Virginia?
Compared with Virginia as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 25.8%, about 36% higher than the Virginia rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wise County, Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 73,838 cigarettes a day, 2.2 million a month, or 27.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 812,223 minutes a day and 296.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wise County is 74.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 7.62 lifetimes a year.
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