Health Profile of Wetzel County, West Virginia
Wetzel 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
Wetzel County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Wetzel County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.7% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 24.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Wetzel County is 75.8 years, about 0.3 years shorter than the West Virginia average of 76.1 years. The uninsured rate is 3.7%, lower 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
6,120 residents in Wetzel County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 293 102 men · 191 women
- 75–84 1,069 451 men · 618 women
- 65–74 1,660 808 men · 852 women
- 50–64 3,098 1,574 men · 1,524 women
Younger residents
2,808 residents in Wetzel County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 816 420 boys · 396 girls
- 7–12 842 417 boys · 425 girls
- 3–7 672 351 boys · 321 girls
- 0–3 478 269 boys · 209 girls
About 1,267 residents in Wetzel County (9.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Wetzel County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 15.2% | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.8% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 9.9% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 42.1% | 40.3% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Wetzel County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Wetzel County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25.0% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 11.5% | 11.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 32.5% | 31.8% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Wetzel County are about the same as in West Virginia.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,747 cigarettes a day, 832,415 a month, or 10.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 305,219 minutes a day and 111.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wetzel County is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.80 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 | Wetzel County | West Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.51 | 6.17 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Wetzel County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Wetzel County, WV Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Wetzel County, WV is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 14,078 residents against a local median of 29,868. Where Wetzel County, WV breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 46% below the local median of 6.7% at 3.7%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 2.3% on uninsured, so Wetzel County, WV sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wetzel County, WV has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetzel County, WV | 14,078 | 75.8 yrs #4/6 | 3.7% #1/6 | 42.1% #6/6 |
| Marshall County, WV | 29,868 | 75.2 yrs | 5.6% | 39.1% |
| Tyler County, WV | 8,063 | 78.1 yrs | 7.9% | 41.8% |
| Doddridge County, WV | 7,711 | 80.1 yrs | 5.5% | 40.2% |
| Marion County, WV | 55,899 | 76.4 yrs | 6.7% | 40.7% |
| Harrison County, WV | 64,984 | 74.6 yrs | 7.5% | 39.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wetzel 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia.
Is Wetzel County, West Virginia a healthy place to live?
Wetzel 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia one of the healthiest counties in West Virginia?
Wetzel County ranks 37th 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia?
People in Wetzel County, West Virginia can expect to live 75.8 years on average, about the same as the West Virginia average of 76.1.
What percentage of Wetzel County, West Virginia residents are uninsured?
3.7% of residents in Wetzel County, West Virginia have no health insurance, about 1 in 27 people, 2.4 points below the West Virginia rate of 6.0%.
What percentage of Wetzel County, West Virginia residents are obese?
42.1% of adults in Wetzel County, West Virginia are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 1.7 points above the West Virginia rate of 40.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Wetzel County, West Virginia go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 27,747 cigarettes a day, 832,415 a month, or 10.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 305,219 minutes a day and 111.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Wetzel County is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.80 lifetimes a year.
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