Health Profile of Gilmer County, West Virginia
Gilmer 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
Gilmer County Below averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Gilmer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.7% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Gilmer County is 77.2 years, about 1.0 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 6.7%, higher than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.8% of residents, lower than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
2,589 residents in Gilmer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 128 42 men · 86 women
- 75–84 410 185 men · 225 women
- 65–74 661 326 men · 335 women
- 50–64 1,390 788 men · 602 women
Younger residents
1,071 residents in Gilmer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 312 155 boys · 157 girls
- 7–12 310 159 boys · 151 girls
- 3–7 252 124 boys · 128 girls
- 0–3 196 85 boys · 111 girls
About 443 residents in Gilmer County (6.1% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Gilmer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.7% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.7% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.1% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.0% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Gilmer County is about 23% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of cancer in Gilmer County is about 21% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Gilmer County is about 19% lower than in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Gilmer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.7% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 13.8% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.3% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Gilmer County is about 16% higher than in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,116 cigarettes a day, 423,491 a month, or 5.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 155,280 minutes a day and 56.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Gilmer County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.40 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 | Gilmer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.08 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Gilmer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Gilmer County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Gilmer County, WV is typical in size for this group, 7,288 residents against a local median of 8,286, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Gilmer County, WV sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 14% below the local median at 6.7% against 7.8%. Gilmer County, WV has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilmer County, WV | 7,288 | 77.2 yrs #2/6 | 6.7% #3/6 | 38.1% #1/6 |
| Braxton County, WV | 12,208 | 76.9 yrs | 8.5% | 39.9% |
| Calhoun County, WV | 6,048 | 74.4 yrs | 9.0% | 41.6% |
| Ritchie County, WV | 8,286 | 76.7 yrs | 7.8% | 42.0% |
| Lewis County, WV | 16,740 | 74.3 yrs | 6.5% | 38.9% |
| Doddridge County, WV | 7,711 | 80.1 yrs | 5.5% | 40.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Gilmer 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 Gilmer County, West Virginia.
What is the health grade for Gilmer County, West Virginia?
Gilmer 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 Gilmer County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Gilmer County ranks 5th 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 life expectancy in Gilmer County, West Virginia?
People in Gilmer County, West Virginia can expect to live 77.2 years on average, 1.0 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Gilmer County, West Virginia?
6.7% of residents in Gilmer County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 15 people, 0.7 points above the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Gilmer County, West Virginia residents are obese?
38.1% of adults in Gilmer County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.3 points below the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Gilmer County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 14,116 cigarettes a day, 423,491 a month, or 5.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 155,280 minutes a day and 56.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Gilmer County is 77.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.40 lifetimes a year.
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