Health Profile of West Virginia
West Virginia 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
West Virginia Below averageLess healthy than 88% of states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in West Virginia
- Monongalia County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Jefferson County (100% of U.S. avg)
- Putnam County (100% of U.S. avg)
- McDowell County (92% of U.S. avg)
- Lincoln County (94% of U.S. avg)
- Mingo County (94% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in West Virginia is 76.1 years, about 2.2 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 6.0%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.2% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
722,378 residents in West Virginia are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 37,076 12,793 men · 24,283 women
- 75–84 111,139 49,679 men · 61,460 women
- 65–74 210,480 101,409 men · 109,072 women
- 50–64 363,683 178,206 men · 185,477 women
Younger residents
338,567 residents in West Virginia are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 109,575 56,837 boys · 52,738 girls
- 7–12 100,004 51,378 boys · 48,626 girls
- 3–7 74,237 37,911 boys · 36,326 girls
- 0–3 54,751 28,073 boys · 26,679 girls
About 132,938 residents in West Virginia (7.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in West Virginia is about 28% higher than in US. The rate of diabetes in West Virginia is about 28% higher than in US. The rate of obesity in West Virginia is about 18% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 31.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in West Virginia is about 33% higher than in US. The rate of binge drinking in West Virginia is about 28% lower than in US. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in West Virginia is about 27% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3.6 million cigarettes a day, 107.9 million a month, or 1.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 39.6 million minutes a day and 14.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in West Virginia is 76.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.99 lifetimes a day, or 361 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 | West Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in West Virginia is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
West Virginia Health Compared With Nearby States
West Virginia is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 1,778,099 residents against a local median of 10,724,323. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes West Virginia an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 13% above the local median at 40.3% against 35.8%. West Virginia has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | 76.1 yrs #6/6 | 6.0% #3/6 | 40.3% #6/6 |
| Virginia | 8,702,460 | 77.3 yrs | 6.9% | 36.3% |
| Ohio | 11,799,428 | 77.0 yrs | 6.4% | 38.4% |
| North Carolina | 10,724,323 | 77.1 yrs | 9.9% | 35.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 13,004,688 | 78.4 yrs | 5.6% | 34.5% |
| District of Columbia | 678,314 | 76.4 yrs | 3.6% | 25.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, West Virginia has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in West Virginia.
Is West Virginia a healthy place to live?
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 West Virginia one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
West Virginia ranks 45th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in West Virginia?
People in West Virginia can expect to live 76.1 years on average, 2.2 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
What is the uninsured rate in West Virginia?
6.0% of residents in West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 2.4 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
What is the obesity rate in West Virginia?
40.3% of adults in West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 6.0 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
What health issue is more common in West Virginia than elsewhere?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 25.3%, about 33% higher than the US rate of 19.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 3.6 million cigarettes a day, 107.9 million a month, or 1.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 39.6 million minutes a day and 14.4 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in West Virginia is 76.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.99 lifetimes a day, or 361 lifetimes a year.
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