Black Health Profile
Black health in Virginia
1,619,517
Black residents (ACS)
18.70%
Of state population
Virginia has 1.6 million Black residents (19%). Virginia Commonwealth University Health, Inova, and the University of Virginia Health anchor the state's medical infrastructure. Virginia adopted Medicaid expansion effective January 2019 under the 2018 state budget.
The largest Black health disparity tracked on these pages varies by metric. Use the ten topic pages below to see each one cited against the state's primary-source dataset.
On the positive side, every US state now has CDC-funded maternal mortality review committees, and most have at least one HRSA-designated federally qualified health center serving low-income Black residents. The ten facet pages below point to state-specific programs and providers.
Key takeaways
- Black residents: 1,619,517 (18.7% of the state).
- Medicaid expansion adopted.
- Medicaid covers doula services.
- Certified nurse-midwife scope-of-practice recognized by Medicaid.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension active.
Health outcomes & coverage
Ten race-stratified indicators drawn from CDC, Census, KFF, and SAMHSA primary sources. Each page links the underlying dataset, compares to the national average, and frames the state-specific drivers and policy levers.
maternal mortality
Black women in Virginia die from pregnancy-related causes at 27.4 per 100,000 live births — 1.4× the US national rate of 19.
Read the maternal mortality breakdown
infant mortality
Black infants in Virginia die before age one at 11.5 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
Read the infant mortality breakdown
cardiovascular mortality
Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality among Black residents of Virginia: 329.3 deaths per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 I00-I99).
Read the cardiovascular mortality breakdown
diabetes prevalence
14.5% of Black adults in Virginia have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.
Read the diabetes prevalence breakdown
breast cancer mortality
Age-adjusted breast cancer mortality among Black women in Virginia: 28.4 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C50).
Read the breast cancer mortality breakdown
prostate cancer mortality
Age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality among Black men in Virginia: 40 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C61).
Read the prostate cancer mortality breakdown
life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for Black residents of Virginia: 73.8 years (US all-race: 77.5).
Read the life expectancy breakdown
uninsured rate
8.7% of Black residents of Virginia have no health insurance coverage — vs. a US all-race uninsured rate of 8%.
Read the uninsured rate breakdown
Medicaid coverage
About 26% of Black residents of Virginia receive Medicaid coverage. Virginia is a Medicaid expansion state.
Read the Medicaid coverage breakdown
mental health access
57.2% of Black adults in Virginia who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMHSA N…
Read the mental health access breakdown
Policy context in Virginia
Virginia has adopted Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid covers doula services in this state. Postpartum Medicaid coverage extends for 12 months after delivery, the federal recommended standard.
Virginia adopted Medicaid expansion effective January 2019 — a pivotal expansion in the South. Virginia Medicaid covers doula services (SB 1491, 2021) and 12-month postpartum care. The Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team publishes annual findings.
Find Black health providers & resources in Virginia
Counties in Virginia
County-level Black Health profiles for the 1 Virginia county with the fullest race-stratified data and editorial coverage.
Data sources & refresh cadence
- US Census ACS 5-year 2019–2023, Table B02001 (race) & S1903 (income).
- CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death (D69) & Underlying Cause of Death (D76), 2018–2022 release.
- KFF Medicaid expansion and state coverage trackers, Q1 2026.
- SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 state annual.
- HRSA NHSC workforce data, 2024.
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