Health Profile of Nicholas County, West Virginia
Nicholas 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
Nicholas County Below averageLess healthy than 70% of counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Nicholas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 74.0 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.8% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 23.7% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Nicholas County is 74.0 years, about 2.1 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 5.8%, lower than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 23.7% of residents, higher than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
10,504 residents in Nicholas County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 442 124 men · 318 women
- 75–84 1,676 787 men · 889 women
- 65–74 3,105 1,558 men · 1,548 women
- 50–64 5,280 2,615 men · 2,665 women
Younger residents
4,729 residents in Nicholas County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,502 830 boys · 672 girls
- 7–12 1,425 712 boys · 713 girls
- 3–7 1,069 524 boys · 544 girls
- 0–3 733 377 boys · 355 girls
About 2,402 residents in Nicholas County (9.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 74.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Nicholas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.0% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.3% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.5% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.8% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Nicholas County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Nicholas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 26.4% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.5% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 33.5% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Nicholas County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 50,514 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 18.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 555,659 minutes a day and 202.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nicholas County is 74.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.21 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 | Nicholas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.78 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Nicholas County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Nicholas County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Nicholas County, WV is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 24,277 residents against a local median of 12,208. Nicholas 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, 7% below the local median at 5.8% against 6.3%. Nicholas County, WV has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas County, WV | 24,277 | 74.0 yrs #6/6 | 5.8% #3/6 | 38.8% #2/6 |
| Clay County, WV | 7,835 | 76.0 yrs | 5.8% | 40.8% |
| Fayette County, WV | 39,515 | 76.6 yrs | 8.0% | 40.8% |
| Braxton County, WV | 12,208 | 76.9 yrs | 8.5% | 39.9% |
| Webster County, WV | 8,144 | 76.0 yrs | 5.8% | 42.6% |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 32,386 | 75.4 yrs | 6.3% | 37.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Nicholas 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 Nicholas County, West Virginia.
How healthy is Nicholas County, West Virginia?
Nicholas 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 Nicholas County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Nicholas County ranks 39th 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 Nicholas County, West Virginia?
People in Nicholas County, West Virginia can expect to live 74.0 years on average, 2.1 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Nicholas County, West Virginia?
5.8% of residents in Nicholas 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 Nicholas County, West Virginia?
38.8% of adults in Nicholas County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.6 points below the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Nicholas County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 50,514 cigarettes a day, 1.5 million a month, or 18.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 555,659 minutes a day and 202.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Nicholas County is 74.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.21 lifetimes a year.
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