Health Profile of Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley 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
Berkeley County Below averageHealthier than 91% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Berkeley County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.9% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.9% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Berkeley County is 76.4 years, about 0.3 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 5.9%, lower than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.9% of residents, lower than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
43,117 residents in Berkeley County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,604 642 men · 962 women
- 75–84 4,832 2,216 men · 2,617 women
- 65–74 10,964 5,147 men · 5,817 women
- 50–64 25,716 13,023 men · 12,693 women
Younger residents
29,398 residents in Berkeley County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 9,072 4,661 boys · 4,411 girls
- 7–12 8,569 4,333 boys · 4,236 girls
- 3–7 6,671 3,325 boys · 3,346 girls
- 0–3 5,086 2,564 boys · 2,522 girls
About 5,579 residents in Berkeley County (4.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.4 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Berkeley County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.5% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.2% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.3% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Berkeley County is about 21% lower than in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Berkeley County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 23.5% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.4% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 29.1% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Berkeley County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 234,169 cigarettes a day, 7.0 million a month, or 85.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.6 million minutes a day and 940.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berkeley County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 23 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 | Berkeley County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.49 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Berkeley County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Berkeley County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Berkeley County, WV is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 129,514 residents against a local median of 77,109. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Berkeley County, WV an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 8% above the local median at 39.3% against 36.3%. Berkeley County, WV has the 5th lowest obesity of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County, WV | 129,514 | 76.4 yrs #3/5 | 5.9% #1/5 | 39.3% #5/5 |
| Jefferson County, WV | 59,260 | 77.9 yrs | 6.0% | 35.7% |
| Morgan County, WV | 17,426 | 76.4 yrs | 6.1% | 39.2% |
| Washington County, MD | 155,706 | 76.1 yrs | 6.3% | 37.0% |
| Frederick County, VA | 94,959 | 78.5 yrs | 6.4% | 32.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Berkeley County, West Virginia has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than West Virginia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Is Berkeley County, West Virginia a healthy place to live?
Berkeley County, West 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 Berkeley County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Berkeley County ranks 6th healthiest out of 55 counties in West 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 Berkeley County, West Virginia?
People in Berkeley County, West Virginia can expect to live 76.4 years on average, about the same as the West Virginia average of 76.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Berkeley County, West Virginia?
5.9% of residents in Berkeley County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, about the same as the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Berkeley County, West Virginia?
39.3% of adults in Berkeley County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.0 points below the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Berkeley County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 234,169 cigarettes a day, 7.0 million a month, or 85.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.6 million minutes a day and 940.2 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berkeley County is 76.4 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 23 lifetimes a year.
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