Health in Louisa
Louisa trails Virginia on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Louisa. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Louisa
Stroke, COPD and heart disease run high in Louisa
1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.4%), vs 3.3% across Virginia. 1 in 13 adults have COPD (8%), vs 6.2% across Virginia. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.7%, vs 6.1% across Virginia. In all, Louisa runs above Virginia on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
The nearest ER is 24 miles from Louisa
The closest emergency room is Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, 24.1 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Central Virginia Health Services is closer (1.6 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
Louisa is short on primary care and dental care
Louisa’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and dental care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Virginia figure falls outside Louisa’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Out of every 100 Louisa adults…
Louisa runs above VA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Louisa
No hospital or community health center in Louisa itself. These are the nearest.
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 Louisa; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Louisa’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Louisa is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns.
About what its income would suggest. Louisa does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
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 the Healthiest towns in Virginia ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (21,557 places): A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D and D− the bottom 15%. There’s no F.
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Louisa 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. 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Virginia
Share of adults, with the Virginia figure marked.
0.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Louisa adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Virginia.
How Louisa adults are doing
About the same as Virginia on each measure.
1 in 3 Louisa adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.8% of Louisa adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Louisa adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
All 40 CDC measures for Louisa
| Measure | Louisa | Likely range | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 40.1% | 36–44.4% | 35.4% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 39.7% | 35.3–44.2% | 38% | about the same |
| Obesity | 36.7% | 28.9–44.9% | 34.5% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 30.9% | 27.5–34.4% | 26.2% | worse |
| Depression | 22.6% | 19.2–26.2% | 21.8% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 21% | 17.3–24.8% | 11.1% | worse |
| Asthma | 11.3% | 10–12.8% | 10.4% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 9% | 8.1–10% | 7.7% | worse |
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 12.2–16.3% | 12.5% | about the same |
| COPD | 8% | 6.6–9.5% | 6.2% | worse |
| Heart disease | 7.7% | 6.7–8.7% | 6.1% | worse |
| Stroke | 4.4% | 3.8–5% | 3.3% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.2% | 11.7–17% | 12.2% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 13.3% | 11–16.1% | 14.5% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 27.2% | 22.3–32.3% | 23.8% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4% | 31.7–45.3% | 36% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.3% | 77.1–83.4% | 79.2% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 62.6% | 59–66.1% | 67.9% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 87.2% | 85.2–89.1% | 87.5% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 66.6% | 61.4–71.5% | 67.4% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 75.7% | 67.9–82.5% | 78.6% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 79.3% | 76.7–81.7% | 76.8% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 9.7% | 7.8–12.1% | 8.7% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 35.1% | 29.9–40.7% | 33.8% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 22% | 18.5–25.7% | 21.6% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.1% | 14.9–19.3% | 15.9% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 21.5% | 18.2–25% | 18.1% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 15% | 12.9–17.2% | 12.8% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 15.6% | 12.7–18.9% | 13.1% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 12.6% | 10.5–14.9% | 10.9% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 8.3% | 7–9.7% | 7.1% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 8.7% | 7.4–10.1% | 7.4% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 13.8% | 11.1–16.8% | 10.7% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.4% | 31.6–41.3% | 30% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 17.6% | 15–20.4% | 13.5% | |
| Thinking or memory | 16% | 13.7–18.4% | 14% | |
| Hearing | 8.1% | 7–9.3% | 6.4% | |
| Vision | 5.9% | 5.1–6.8% | 4.7% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.4% | 3.8–5.1% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 9.7% | 8.3–11.3% | 7.7% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Louisa door to door.
Every figure has a likely range. When the Virginia figure falls inside it, we don’t call Louisa better or worse.
CDC publishes Louisa directly, so these are its own figures.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Louisa.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Virginia figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.