Health Profile of Mercer County, West Virginia
Mercer 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
Mercer County Below averageLess healthy than 83% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.9% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 26.3% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Mercer County is 73.5 years, about 2.7 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 4.9%, lower than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 26.3% of residents, higher than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
24,143 residents in Mercer County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,648 478 men · 1,170 women
- 75–84 3,749 1,682 men · 2,066 women
- 65–74 7,187 3,377 men · 3,810 women
- 50–64 11,560 5,472 men · 6,088 women
Younger residents
11,557 residents in Mercer County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,340 1,601 boys · 1,738 girls
- 7–12 3,582 1,892 boys · 1,690 girls
- 3–7 2,740 1,490 boys · 1,250 girls
- 0–3 1,896 983 boys · 913 girls
About 6,362 residents in Mercer County (10.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 73.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.4% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.6% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.9% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.0% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Mercer County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.8% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.6% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.3% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Mercer County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 119,490 cigarettes a day, 3.6 million a month, or 43.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 479.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 73.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 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 | Mercer County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.92 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Mercer County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Mercer County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Mercer County, WV is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 58,563 residents against a local median of 16,557. Where Mercer County, WV breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 24% below the local median of 6.5% at 4.9%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.8% on uninsured, so Mercer County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mercer County, WV has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, WV | 58,563 | 73.5 yrs #4/6 | 4.9% #2/6 | 38.0% #3/6 |
| Bland County, VA | 6,196 | 74.9 yrs | 5.0% | 37.7% |
| Summers County, WV | 11,729 | 72.9 yrs | 6.6% | 42.5% |
| Raleigh County, WV | 73,194 | 75.3 yrs | 4.2% | 42.9% |
| Giles County, VA | 16,557 | 76.0 yrs | 6.5% | 33.2% |
| Wyoming County, WV | 20,629 | 72.7 yrs | 7.0% | 42.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Mercer County, West Virginia has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with West Virginia, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Mercer County, West Virginia.
How healthy is Mercer County, West Virginia?
Mercer 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 Mercer County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Mercer County ranks 46th 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 Mercer County, West Virginia?
People in Mercer County, West Virginia can expect to live 73.5 years on average, 2.7 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1.
What percentage of Mercer County, West Virginia residents are uninsured?
4.9% of residents in Mercer County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 1.1 points below the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Mercer County, West Virginia?
38.0% of adults in Mercer 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 Mercer County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 119,490 cigarettes a day, 3.6 million a month, or 43.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 479.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Mercer County is 73.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 lifetimes a year.
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