Alexandria residents living in the West End and Arlandria have shorter life expectancies, more health problems, and are more depressed than their neighbors living in more affluent areas.
That’s according to the city’s 2025 State of Health report, which found residents in those areas are disproportionately living below the poverty level and are more likely to be depressed, suffer from chronic conditions, have bad teeth, and more.
Without providing specific numbers, Alexandria’s West End and Arlandria neighborhoods have a high rate of death before the age of 75, according to the report.
Slideshow
Use the arrows to toggle between some of the charts included in the report.
“When taken as a whole, Alexandria appears to be doing well,” said Natalie Talis, the Alexandria Health Department’s population health manager. “Many of our city’s health metrics are better than state and national benchmarks. But when we look at the data at a hyperlocal level, we see that certain Alexandria communities consistently have worse health outcomes than others.”
More than 2,000 people who “live, work, play, and pray in Alexandria” completed an AHD survey on health issues at more than 60 pop-up events since the fall.
Alexandria has nearly 157,000 residents, and 66% have a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. While the median household income is $113,638, one-in-12 residents live in poverty, including one-in-eight children.
“The constant stress of living in unstable conditions, struggling or failing to pay bills, and long work hours can worsen existing mental illness and increase chances of
developing mental illness,” the report says.
The report also found:
- One in 12 Alexandria adults were not able to see a doctor in the past year due to cost
- About 13,500 Alexandrians are uninsured (8.8%)
- Black and Hispanic/Latino residents, and people with lower household incomes are at higher risk for worse health outcomes
The data will be used to create the city’s Community Health Improvement Plan for 2025-2030.
The report will be presented on July 8 (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m. at the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street). Mayor Alyia Gaskins will make remarks, followed by a panel discussion on the data and next steps for the Health Department.
