Health · Blades

Blades, DE health

Blades differs from Delaware on 9 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (8.1% vs 9.1%). Where it trails the state: more uninsured adults (13.5% vs 9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Blades

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Blades’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Blades is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns, and than 62% of towns with similar incomes.

CSelf-rated healthC+Physical distressBMental distressC+ObesityCDiabetesC+SmokingC-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 36%

Less healthyHealthier

Delaware towns we grade (55)Healthier than 31%

Towns with similar incomes, $43K–$71K (7,286)Healthier than 62%

Better than its income would suggest. Blades is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Blades could be anywhere from D to B+.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Delaware ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Blades with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Blades uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Blades compares with Delaware

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Blades adults…

40 of every 100 Blades adults have high blood pressure

Delaware: 38 in 100 · too close to call · margin 36–43.1%

Bars show Blades; the black tick is Delaware. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Blades, betterBlades, worseToo close to callDelaware

Get no exerciseshare of adults 30.4% Blades
DE 27.2%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36.6% Blades
DE 35.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 14.3% Blades
DE 14.2%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.7% Blades
DE 12.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Blades adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Delaware.

Yearly checkup

DE 81%

Dentist visit

DE 63%

Cholesterol check

DE 88%

Colon screening

DE 67%

Mammogram

DE 79%

Taking BP meds

DE 78%

1 in 7

working-age adults has no health insurance

Blades 13.5% · Delaware 1 in 11 (9%)

Mind & connection

How Blades adults are doing

1 in 3Blades adults feel lonely

33.3% · Delaware 31.7% · too close to call

1 in 5Blades adults have been diagnosed with depression

20.8% · Delaware 21.1% · too close to call

1 in 4Blades adults lack social or emotional support

23.9% · Delaware 21.6% · too close to call

1 in 6Blades adults are in frequent mental distress

16.4% · Delaware 15.4% · too close to call

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 5

Blades adults worry about having enough food

18.3% · DE 13.9% · worse

1 in 7

Blades adults worry about keeping their housing

14.9% · DE 11.6% · worse

1 in 11

Blades adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9.5% · DE 7.4% · worse

1 in 11

Blades adults lack reliable transportation

9.3% · DE 7.7% · worse

14.9% of Blades adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Delaware.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.6%

of Blades adults live with a disability (Delaware 30.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.7%

Thinking or memory14.6%

Hearing7.1%

Errands alone9%

Vision5.9%

Dressing or bathing4.4%

Black tick: Delaware. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Blades

Blades and the towns around it

Care nearby

Tidalhealth NanticokeSeaford · 0.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Tidalhealth Peninsula RegionalSalisbury · 18.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex CampusMilford · 24.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Beebe Medical CenterLewes · 26.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Western Sussex Community Health CenterSeaford · 0.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Federalsburg Health CenterFederalsburg · 10.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careBlades's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Sussex County · need score 14 of 25

! Dental careBlades's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Sussex County · need score 16 of 25

! Mental healthBlades's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Sussex County · need score 16 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Blades. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Blades

Measure	Blades	Margin	Delaware
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.7%	36–43.1%	38.1%	about the same
High cholesterol	42.7%	38.8–46.4%	41.2%	about the same
Obesity	37.3%	31.4–43.4%	35.3%	about the same
Arthritis	28.4%	25.6–31.2%	28.4%	about the same
Depression	20.8%	17.8–23.8%	21.1%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	13.4%	11.1–16.1%	12.7%	about the same
Asthma	11.2%	9.9–12.6%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.1%	7.3–8.9%	9.1%	better
Diabetes	13.5%	11.8–15.1%	13.1%	about the same
COPD	7.8%	6.7–9%	7.1%	about the same
Heart disease	7.3%	6.4–8.1%	6.9%	about the same
Stroke	4%	3.6–4.5%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.7%	13.3–18.1%	12.6%	worse
Binge drink	14.3%	12.1–16.8%	14.2%	about the same
Get no exercise	30.4%	25.9–35.1%	27.2%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	36.6%	31.9–41.8%	35.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.7%	77.5–83.7%	80.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	58.6%	55–62.4%	63.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	86.5%	84.4–88.4%	87.9%	about the same
Colon screening	67.3%	63.4–71.4%	67.2%	about the same
Mammogram	80.6%	75.6–85.5%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.2%	76.5–81.4%	78.1%	about the same
No health insurance	13.5%	11–16.1%	9%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.3%	29.4–37.4%	31.7%	about the same
Lack emotional support	23.9%	20.8–27.4%	21.6%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.4%	14.5–18.4%	15.4%	about the same
Fair or poor health	21.8%	18.9–24.7%	18.8%	worse
Frequent physical distress	14.8%	13–16.5%	13.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	18.3%	15.7–21.3%	13.9%	worse
Housing insecurity	14.9%	12.8–17.2%	11.6%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	9.5%	8.2–10.9%	7.4%	worse
No reliable transportation	9.3%	8.1–10.7%	7.7%	worse
Receive SNAP	14.9%	12.4–17.9%	11.7%
Disability
Any disability	32.6%	28.6–36.5%	30.6%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.7%	13.5–17.8%	14.8%
Thinking or memory	14.6%	12.8–16.7%	13%
Hearing	7.1%	6.2–7.9%	6.7%
Vision	5.9%	5.2–6.6%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4.4%	3.8–4.9%	3.7%
Errands alone	9%	7.9–10.2%	7.8%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Blades door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Delaware figure falls inside it, we don't call Blades better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Blades directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Delaware figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.