Health Profile of Pocahontas County, West Virginia
Pocahontas 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.
-
C
Pocahontas County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.2 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.1% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Pocahontas County is 75.2 years, about 0.9 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 6.1%, higher than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 24.0% of residents, higher than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
3,710 residents in Pocahontas County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 233 93 men · 140 women
- 75–84 543 274 men · 268 women
- 65–74 1,094 538 men · 556 women
- 50–64 1,842 963 men · 878 women
Younger residents
1,294 residents in Pocahontas County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 428 198 boys · 230 girls
- 7–12 385 190 boys · 195 girls
- 3–7 275 142 boys · 133 girls
- 0–3 207 105 boys · 102 girls
About 759 residents in Pocahontas County (9.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.4% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.9% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 10.0% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.6% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Pocahontas County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.2% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.4% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.0% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Pocahontas County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,135 cigarettes a day, 484,040 a month, or 5.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 177,481 minutes a day and 64.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pocahontas County is 75.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.64 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 | Pocahontas County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.23 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.2 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Pocahontas County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Pocahontas County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Pocahontas County, WV is typical in size for this group, 7,784 residents against a local median of 8,144, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Nothing separates Pocahontas County, WV sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 6% above the local median at 6.1% against 5.8%. Pocahontas County, WV has the 4th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County, WV | 7,784 | 75.2 yrs #6/6 | 6.1% #4/6 | 38.6% #3/6 |
| Bath County, VA | 4,100 | 77.4 yrs | 2.5% | 39.6% |
| Highland County, VA | 2,296 | 77.6 yrs | 3.9% | 34.6% |
| Webster County, WV | 8,144 | 76.0 yrs | 5.8% | 42.6% |
| Randolph County, WV | 27,576 | 79.6 yrs | 7.1% | 39.8% |
| Alleghany County, VA | 14,859 | 76.8 yrs | 6.6% | 37.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
What is the health grade for Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Pocahontas County ranks 35th 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 Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
People in Pocahontas County, West Virginia can expect to live 75.2 years on average, 0.9 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1.
How many people lack health insurance in Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
6.1% of residents in Pocahontas County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
What is the obesity rate in Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
38.6% of adults in Pocahontas County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.7 points below the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Pocahontas County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 16,135 cigarettes a day, 484,040 a month, or 5.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 177,481 minutes a day and 64.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Pocahontas County is 75.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.64 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →