Kanawha County, WV is a rural community with a population of 86,622 people. The health care in the county is served by local hospitals and medical facilities as well as other health care providers. These include Charleston Area Medical Center, Thomas Memorial Hospital, Valley Health System, and CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital. In addition to these hospitals and medical centers, there are many primary care practices run by physicians who specialize in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics/gynecology and other specialties. There are two mental health centers that provide services for individuals who need support or treatment for behavioral health issues such as depression or substance abuse. The Kanawha County Health Department provides critical public health services including immunizations and screenings for preventable diseases such as diabetes and cancer as well as providing access to WIC (Women, Infants & Children) nutrition programs. With all of these resources available to its residents, Kanawha County is able to provide quality healthcare services to its citizens.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 386 physicians per 100,000 population in Kanawha County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Kanawha County area is 102.9 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
102.9 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Kanawha County area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Kanawha County area is 82 (100=best). The US average is 87.
82 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Kanawha County commutes 20.9 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Kanawha County area is 53 (100=best). The US average is 58.
53 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.