Health Profile of Monongalia County, West Virginia
Monongalia 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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B
Monongalia County Around averageHealthiest county in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Monongalia County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.3% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Monongalia County is 77.7 years, about 1.6 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 5.3%, lower than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.1% of residents, lower than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
29,122 residents in Monongalia County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,293 423 men · 870 women
- 75–84 4,058 1,759 men · 2,299 women
- 65–74 7,695 3,780 men · 3,915 women
- 50–64 16,076 8,177 men · 7,899 women
Younger residents
16,717 residents in Monongalia County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,047 2,643 boys · 2,404 girls
- 7–12 4,891 2,556 boys · 2,335 girls
- 3–7 3,860 1,992 boys · 1,868 girls
- 0–3 2,919 1,493 boys · 1,426 girls
About 4,060 residents in Monongalia County (3.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Monongalia County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.8% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.0% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.4% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.3% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Monongalia County is about 41% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Monongalia County is about 39% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of cancer in Monongalia County is about 31% lower than in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Monongalia County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.0% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.1% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.8% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Monongalia County is about 32% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of smoking in Monongalia County is about 29% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of binge drinking in Monongalia County is about 27% higher than in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 161,554 cigarettes a day, 4.8 million a month, or 59.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.8 million minutes a day and 648.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Monongalia County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 16 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 | Monongalia County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.30 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Monongalia County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Monongalia County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Monongalia County, WV is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 107,163 residents against a local median of 34,835. Monongalia County, WV's obesity, at 31.3%, runs 23% below the 40.7% typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Uninsured tells the same story from another angle: 5.3% against a local median of 6.7%, 21% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Monongalia County, WV is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 6.3% on obesity, so Monongalia County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Monongalia County, WV has the lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monongalia County, WV | 107,163 | 77.7 yrs #2/6 | 5.3% #3/6 | 31.3% #1/6 |
| Marion County, WV | 55,899 | 76.4 yrs | 6.7% | 40.7% |
| Greene County, PA | 34,835 | 77.8 yrs | 4.5% | 36.1% |
| Taylor County, WV | 16,487 | 76.2 yrs | 5.1% | 42.4% |
| Preston County, WV | 34,160 | 77.1 yrs | 7.9% | 41.3% |
| Harrison County, WV | 64,984 | 74.6 yrs | 7.5% | 39.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Monongalia County, West Virginia has an overall health index grade of B, making it far better than West Virginia, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Monongalia County, West Virginia.
How healthy is Monongalia County, West Virginia?
Monongalia County, West Virginia has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Monongalia County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Yes. Monongalia County ranks 1st of 55 counties in West Virginia by the Map AI Health Index, making it the healthiest of them all.
What is the life expectancy in Monongalia County, West Virginia?
People in Monongalia County, West Virginia can expect to live 77.7 years on average, 1.6 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1.
What is the uninsured rate in Monongalia County, West Virginia?
5.3% of residents in Monongalia County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 0.7 points below the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
How common is obesity in Monongalia County, West Virginia?
31.3% of adults in Monongalia County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 9.0 points below the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Monongalia County, West Virginia?
Compared with West Virginia as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 15.1%, about 27% higher than the West Virginia rate of 11.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Monongalia County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 161,554 cigarettes a day, 4.8 million a month, or 59.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.8 million minutes a day and 648.6 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Monongalia County is 77.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 16 lifetimes a year.
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