|
 Bland
County
Land Area: 359 square miles
Population (2000): 6,871
The landscape of Bland County is rough and wild and very, very beautiful.
Parallel mountain chains run the length of the county from northeast
to southwest. Forests cover almost 80% of the land. Most residents live
in one of two unincorporated towns Bastian and Bland. U.S. Interstate
77 runs through the county, giving residents easy access to the larger
communities of Wytheville, Virginia and Bluefield, West Virginia.
The economy is stable, based on a robust mix of retail trade, agriculture,
service industries, and transfer income (retirement pensions, disability
income, and welfare benefits), manufacturing.. In 1995, the largest
employers were the Bland Correctional Center, Abb Service Company (transformers),
and the public schools.
 Most of Bland County lies within
the boundaries of the Jefferson National Forest. While in the
area, residents should visit Big Walker Mountain Lookout and
Tunnel, Lick Creek Natural Area, the New River Gorge, Burke's
Garden, Shot Tower Historical State Park, and an exhibition coal
mine in Pocahontas.
Death rates from several common causes are higher in Bland County than in Virginia - e.g., heart disease (+39%), chronic lower respiratory diseases (+20%), unintentional injury (+54%), pneumonia and influenza (+11%), diabetes (+33%), and suicide (+98%). Death rates from several other causes are lower in Bland than in Virginia : cancer (-24%), stroke (-20%), chronic liver disease (-61%), Alzheimer's disease (-12%), septicemia (-11%), and nephritis and nephrosis (-12%).
The total pregnancy rate among women aged 15-55 in Bland County is 34% lower than in Virginia and the teenage pregnancy rate is 50% lower than in Virginia . Women in Bland are 5% more likely than women in Virginia overall to receive prenatal care in the first trimester. Babies born to residents of Bland County are 18% less likely to be low birth weight than babies in Virginia as a whole. The infant mortality rate in Bland is 55% lower than the Virginia rate.
Indicators suggest that Bland Countians are less prosperous than Virginians
as a whole. The poverty rate in Bland is 30% higher than the Virginia
rate and the per capita income of Bland Countians is only 75% of the
per capita income of Virginians. The proportion of Bland Countians over
the age of 25 without a high school diploma is 57% higher than in Virginia.
Given the relative poverty and poor health status of the population,
it seems clear that Bland Countians need increased access to primary
care.
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Population Health
|
Bland |
Virginia |
| Disabled Population, Ages 5-20 (2000) |
11.5% |
8.1% |
| Disabled Population, Ages 21-64 (2000) |
27.1% |
17.5% |
| Disabled Population, Ages 65+ (2000) |
58.3% |
42.1% |
| |
|
|
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Diseases of the Heart |
303.3 |
218.0 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Malignant Neoplasms |
143.8 |
190.0 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Cerebrovascular Diseases |
46.3 |
58.3 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- COPD |
47.2 |
39.2 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Unintentional Injury |
50.6 |
32.8 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Pneumonia and Influenza |
25.3 |
22.7 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Diabetes Mellitus |
28.9 |
21.7 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Suicide |
22.0 |
11.1 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Septicemia |
13.7 |
15.4 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Nephritis and Nephrosis |
13.8 |
15.6 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.)
- Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis |
3.0 |
7.7 |
| Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Alzheimers Disease |
14.0 |
15.9 |
| |
|
|
| Total Pregnancy Terminations (Residents) Per 1,000 Females Aged
15-44 (1998 - 2002 avg.) |
54.6 |
82.6 |
| Teenage Pregnancies Per 1,000 Females Aged 10-19 (1998 - 2002 avg.) |
15.8 |
31.3 |
| Percent of Resident Live Births Beginning Prenatal Care in 1st
Trimester (1998 - 2002 avg.) |
89.1% |
84.8% |
| Low Weight Live Births as a Percent of Total Births (1998 - 2002 avg.) |
6.5% |
7.9% |
| Resident Infant Deaths Per 1,000 Lives Births (1998 - 2002 avg.) |
3.2 |
7.2 |
| |
|
|
| Economic Indicators |
|
|
| Population with Medicaid (2004) |
13.0% |
10.8% |
| Poverty Rate (2000) |
12.4% |
9.6% |
| Per Capita Income (2000) |
$17,744 |
$23,975 |
| Population Aged 16+ in Labor Force (2000) |
49.3% |
66.8% |
| Population Aged 25+ w/o High School Diploma (2000) |
29.1% |
18.5% |
| |
|
|
| Employment By Industry |
|
|
| Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, Fishing, Hunting |
6.7% |
1.3% |
| Construction |
5.7% |
7.3% |
| Manufacturing |
21.2% |
11.3% |
| Retail and Wholesale Trade |
14.5% |
14.1% |
| Transportation and Warehousing and Utilities |
6.9% |
4.6% |
| Information |
1.3% |
3.8% |
| Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental and Leasing |
2.2% |
6.6% |
| Professional, Scientific, Management, Adminstrative, and Waste
Management Services |
3.5% |
11.6% |
| Education, Health, and Social Services |
18.5% |
18.3% |
| Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation and Food Services |
5.9% |
7.2% |
| Public Administration |
10.2% |
8.3% |
| Other Services |
3.3% |
5.4% |
Links
Bland County - http://www.bland.org/
Bland County - http://www.mrpdc.org/econ_stats.htm
Mount Rogers Health District - http://www.vdh.state.va.us/LHD/mtrogers/index.asp
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