Health · Charlottesville

Charlottesville, VA health

Charlottesville differs from Virginia on 13 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults with heart disease (4.3% vs 6.1%) and fewer adults who have had cancer (5.5% vs 7.7%). Where it trails the state: more adults without reliable transportation (9.9% vs 7.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Charlottesville
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Charlottesville’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Charlottesville is healthier than 74% of U.S. towns and 62% of Virginia towns.

B+Self-rated healthAPhysical distressC-Mental distressB+ObesityADiabetesA-SmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 74%
Less healthyHealthier
Virginia towns we grade (374)Healthier than 62%
Towns with similar incomes, $56K–$94K (9,885)Healthier than 87%

About what its income would suggest. Charlottesville does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Charlottesville could be anywhere from B− to A.
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 Virginia 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 Charlottesville 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. Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville compares with Virginia

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 Charlottesville adults…

27 of every 100 Charlottesville adults have high blood pressure
Virginia: 35 in 100 · better · margin 24.1–31%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Charlottesville, betterCharlottesville, worseToo close to callVirginia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.3% Charlottesville
VA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.8% Charlottesville
VA 36%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.5% Charlottesville
VA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 11.1% Charlottesville
VA 12.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

76%
Yearly checkup
VA 79%
65%
Dentist visit
VA 68%
81%
Cholesterol check
VA 88%
69%
Colon screening
VA 67%
77%
Mammogram
VA 79%
69%
Taking BP meds
VA 77%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Charlottesville 8.5% · Virginia 1 in 11 (8.7%)
Mind & connection

How Charlottesville adults are doing

1 in 3Charlottesville adults feel lonely
36.9% · Virginia 33.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Charlottesville adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.4% · Virginia 21.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Charlottesville adults lack social or emotional support
20.8% · Virginia 21.6% · too close to call
1 in 5Charlottesville adults are in frequent mental distress
18.9% · Virginia 15.9% · worse
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 6
Charlottesville adults worry about having enough food
15.6% · VA 13.1% · worse
1 in 9
Charlottesville adults worry about keeping their housing
11.7% · VA 10.9% · about the same
1 in 12
Charlottesville adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.2% · VA 7.1% · about the same
1 in 10
Charlottesville adults lack reliable transportation
9.9% · VA 7.4% · worse

13.8% of Charlottesville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.

Disability

Living with a disability

29.9%

of Charlottesville adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs10.3%
Thinking or memory16.7%
Hearing5%
Errands alone8.8%
Vision4.8%
Dressing or bathing3%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Charlottesville

1 hospital and 1 community health center in Charlottesville, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERUniversity of Virginia Medical CenterCharlottesville · 0 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySentara Rmh Medical Center★★★★★ · 32.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCentral Virginia Health ServicesCharlottesville · 0.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
≈0 mi
University of Virginia Medical Center
Charlottesville · ★★★★★
ERIn Charlottesville
0.2 mi
Central Virginia Health Services
5 sites · nearest in Charlottesville
Sliding-scale feesIn Charlottesville
Directions to nearest
2.5 mi
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
Charlottesville · ★★★★★
ER
27.3 mi
Harrisonburg Community Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Elkton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
27.4 mi
Augusta Health
Fishersville · ★★★★★
ER
32.5 mi
Sentara Rmh Medical Center
Harrisonburg · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careCharlottesville is not a shortage area
! Dental careCharlottesville's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Charlottesville City · need score 17 of 25
! Mental healthCharlottesville's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Region 10 MHCA · need score 16 of 25

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Charlottesville. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Charlottesville
MeasureCharlottesvilleMarginVirginia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure27.4%24.1–31%35.4%better
High cholesterol31.7%27.9–35.6%38%better
Obesity32.4%25.3–40%34.5%about the same
Arthritis19.5%17.2–22%26.2%better
Depression25.4%21.8–29.3%21.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.3%8.5–12.3%11.1%about the same
Asthma10.9%9.6–12.3%10.4%about the same
Cancer (not skin)5.5%5–6.1%7.7%better
Diabetes9%7.8–10.3%12.5%better
COPD5%4.4–5.6%6.2%better
Heart disease4.3%3.9–4.8%6.1%better
Stroke2.4%2.2–2.6%3.3%better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11.1%9.5–12.8%12.2%about the same
Binge drink16.5%13.5–19.9%14.5%about the same
Get no exercise22.3%18.5–26.2%23.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.8%28.7–41.1%36%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup75.9%71.8–79.6%79.2%about the same
Dentist visit64.9%61.6–68%67.9%about the same
Cholesterol check80.6%78.2–83%87.5%worse
Colon screening69.3%64.7–73.4%67.4%about the same
Mammogram77.2%70–83.3%78.6%about the same
Taking BP meds68.8%66.2–71.4%76.8%worse
No health insurance8.5%7.2–10%8.7%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely36.9%32.1–42.6%33.8%about the same
Lack emotional support20.8%17.9–24.4%21.6%about the same
Frequent mental distress18.9%16.7–21.2%15.9%worse
Fair or poor health17.1%14.9–19.4%18.1%about the same
Frequent physical distress11.4%10–12.8%12.8%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity15.6%13.4–18.2%13.1%worse
Housing insecurity11.7%10.2–13.7%10.9%about the same
Utility shut-off threat8.2%7.1–9.5%7.1%about the same
No reliable transportation9.9%8.8–11.3%7.4%worse
Receive SNAP13.8%11.9–16.1%10.7%
Disability
Any disability29.9%25.8–34.1%30%
Walking or climbing stairs10.3%9–11.7%13.5%
Thinking or memory16.7%14.8–18.7%14%
Hearing5%4.5–5.6%6.4%
Vision4.8%4.3–5.3%4.7%
Dressing or bathing3%2.7–3.2%3.5%
Errands alone8.8%7.7–9.9%7.7%
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 Charlottesville door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Virginia figure falls inside it, we don't call Charlottesville better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Charlottesville directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Virginia 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01