Health Profile of Putnam County, West Virginia
Putnam 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
Putnam County Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in West Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Putnam County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.6% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Putnam County is 77.8 years, about 1.6 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 5.6%, lower than the West Virginia average of 6.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.4% of residents, lower than the West Virginia average of 23.2%.
Population by Age
Older residents
21,953 residents in Putnam County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,040 328 men · 712 women
- 75–84 3,189 1,437 men · 1,752 women
- 65–74 6,110 2,843 men · 3,267 women
- 50–64 11,614 5,756 men · 5,858 women
Younger residents
11,887 residents in Putnam County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 4,069 2,193 boys · 1,875 girls
- 7–12 3,553 1,909 boys · 1,643 girls
- 3–7 2,514 1,283 boys · 1,231 girls
- 0–3 1,752 868 boys · 885 girls
About 3,127 residents in Putnam County (5.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Putnam County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 12.2% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.9% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.3% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.5% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Putnam County is about 20% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of diabetes in Putnam County is about 16% lower than in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Putnam County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.4% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 12.6% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 26.7% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Putnam County is about 23% lower than in West Virginia. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Putnam County is about 16% lower than in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 87,205 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 959,259 minutes a day and 350.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Putnam County is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.57 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 | Putnam County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.05 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.1 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Putnam County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Putnam County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Putnam County, WV is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 57,177 residents against a local median of 27,705. Nothing separates Putnam 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 obesity, 8% below the local median at 37.5% against 40.8%. Putnam County, WV has the 2nd lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, WV | 57,177 | 77.8 yrs #2/6 | 5.6% #2/6 | 37.5% #2/6 |
| Mason County, WV | 25,043 | 77.0 yrs | 6.1% | 43.6% |
| Cabell County, WV | 92,739 | 73.3 yrs | 6.8% | 40.8% |
| Lincoln County, WV | 19,902 | 72.6 yrs | 5.8% | 44.6% |
| Jackson County, WV | 27,705 | 78.0 yrs | 6.2% | 36.9% |
| Kanawha County, WV | 176,529 | 75.0 yrs | 4.9% | 38.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Putnam County, West Virginia has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than West Virginia, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Putnam County, West Virginia.
What is the health grade for Putnam County, West Virginia?
Putnam 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 Putnam County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Putnam County ranks 3rd 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.
How long do people live in Putnam County, West Virginia?
People in Putnam County, West Virginia can expect to live 77.8 years on average, 1.6 years longer than the West Virginia average of 76.1.
What percentage of Putnam County, West Virginia residents are uninsured?
5.6% of residents in Putnam County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 18 people, about the same as the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Putnam County, West Virginia residents are obese?
37.5% of adults in Putnam County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.8 points below the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Putnam County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 87,205 cigarettes a day, 2.6 million a month, or 31.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 959,259 minutes a day and 350.1 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Putnam County is 77.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.02 lifetimes a day, or 8.57 lifetimes a year.
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