Report finds Beckley atop list of unhealthiest American cities; three other West Virginia cities make top 25

BECKLEY, W.Va. — A new report by the publication 24/7 Wall Street found the unhealthiest city in America is in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

Beckley took the top spot on the list of 25 cities and metropolitan areas due to high rates of poverty, obesity, smoking, inactivity and uninsured adults. In particular, the city’s high rate of premature deaths (before the age of 75) helped Beckley secure the top spot on the list.

“We’ve got a mix of things that have to do with health care, obesity, smoking, but we have some things that we rated above others in terms of the effect on health and longevity,” 24/7 Wall Street CEO and Editor-in-Chief Douglas McIntyre said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Beckley’s premature death rate (553.4 per 100,000 people) and injury death rate (121 per 100,000 people) were the highest in the country.

“Those are things that you can measure very easily; one is a premature death rate,” McIntyre said. “How many people die early?”

Of the 25 cities on the list, Beckley had the third lowest poverty rate–still above the national average.

“I think that, as you look at this, the poverty rate is one of the things that really stands out,” he said. “The national poverty rate is about 15 percent. If you look at the poverty rates of the cities at the top of the list it’s closer to 20. In some cases it’s 25.”

Rankings like these are not new to West Virginians. In addition to Beckley, Charleston (13), Weirton (20), and Huntington (22) made the list of 25.

“Many of these cities or states are in clusters in many cases,” he said. “And they tend to be in clusters in the country where you have a lot of poor people.”

Among the West Virginia cities included in the list, Beckley ranked 3rd in adult obesity rate behind the Weirton-Steubenville area and the Huntington-Ashland area, 2nd in poverty rate behind Huntington-Ashland, and first in percentage of uninsured adults.

“In an analysis of things that have to do with health, poverty, income, it ends being in a very tough spot on a lot of these lists,” McIntyre said. “Those are due in many cases to something that the people in the state and state governments can’t do much about at all short term.”

West Virginia tied with Louisiana for second most cities to appear in the Top 25. Alabama and Arkansas each had cities appear in the list five times.

The study took into account reports from state and local health departments and non-profit organizations.

24/7 Wall Street also reported last November that Beckley was the laziest city in America, based on the amount residents who reported not having any physical activity.





More News

News
As Yeager Airport's Wildlife Patrol Dog turns 7, a new dog comes in to learn from him
The new Border Collie is getting acclimated and receiving training for his soon-to-be role.
March 28, 2024 - 6:30 pm
News
Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department closes
The Dunlow VFD did not have a valid workers compensation insurance policy.
March 28, 2024 - 6:20 pm
News
PEIA examines financial effects of new law meant to ensure local pharmacies get fair reimbursements
Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 453 into law this week.
March 28, 2024 - 4:11 pm
News
Barbour County woman sentenced after death case sent back to circuit court by Supreme Court
Carli Reed sentenced on voluntary manslaughter conviction.
March 28, 2024 - 4:11 pm