Falling Waters, WV health
Falling Waters differs from West Virginia on 14 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults with heart disease (5.5% vs 8.7%) and fewer adults with COPD (6.9% vs 10.6%). Where it trails the state: fewer adults treating high blood pressure (72.7% vs 79.5%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Falling WatersFalling Waters’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Falling Waters is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns and 87% of West Virginia towns.
Wealth explains part of the grade. Falling Waters is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.
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 West 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 Falling Waters 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. Falling Waters 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.
How Falling Waters compares with West 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
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Falling Waters adults…
Bars show Falling Waters; the black tick is West Virginia. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
WV 32.8%
WV 40.7%
WV 14.1%
WV 19.3%
Keeping up with care
Share of Falling Waters adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks West Virginia.
How Falling Waters adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.1% of Falling Waters adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 17.8% across West Virginia.
Living with a disability
of Falling Waters adults live with a disability (West Virginia 39.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: West Virginia. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Falling Waters
No hospital or community health center in Falling Waters 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 Falling Waters. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
All 40 measures for Falling Waters
| Measure | Falling Waters | Margin | West Virginia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 36.5% | 32.9–40.5% | 44% | better |
| High cholesterol | 37.3% | 33.7–41.3% | 42.7% | better |
| Obesity | 38.2% | 32.5–44.6% | 40.6% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 28.9% | 25.8–32.2% | 37.7% | better |
| Depression | 29.5% | 25.9–33.6% | 30.4% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 15.7% | 12.9–18.9% | 19.5% | better |
| Asthma | 11.9% | 10.5–13.5% | 12.2% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 7% | 6.3–7.9% | 9.6% | better |
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 10–13.4% | 15.9% | better |
| COPD | 6.9% | 5.8–8.1% | 10.6% | better |
| Heart disease | 5.5% | 4.8–6.3% | 8.7% | better |
| Stroke | 2.8% | 2.5–3.1% | 4.2% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.5% | 13.5–20.1% | 19.3% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 16.6% | 13.8–19.7% | 14.1% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 27.2% | 22.9–32.2% | 32.8% | better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.3% | 33.2–43.6% | 40.7% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 78.5% | 74.9–81.8% | 81% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 56.5% | 52.8–60.2% | 55.5% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 86.7% | 84.4–88.9% | 86.8% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 68.7% | 64.1–72.9% | 66.5% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 79.3% | 72.9–84.9% | 76.1% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 72.7% | 69.5–75.9% | 79.5% | worse |
| No health insurance | 7.1% | 5.5–9.1% | 8.5% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 32.8% | 28.3–37.7% | 33.8% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 23.3% | 19.7–27.2% | 23% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 21.6% | 19.1–24.7% | 21.1% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 19.2% | 16.4–22.5% | 25.4% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 14% | 12.2–16.2% | 17.3% | better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 12.9% | 10.3–15.8% | 16.2% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 12.1% | 9.9–14.4% | 12.4% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 10.4% | 8.7–12.2% | 11% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 7.7% | 6.4–9.1% | 8.9% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 13.1% | 10.2–16.1% | 17.8% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.2% | 27.2–36.1% | 39.2% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 12.7% | 10.7–14.8% | 18.7% | |
| Thinking or memory | 16.6% | 14.3–19.2% | 18.6% | |
| Hearing | 5.7% | 5–6.6% | 9% | |
| Vision | 3.9% | 3.5–4.5% | 5.7% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.1% | 2.7–3.6% | 4.6% | |
| Errands alone | 8% | 6.9–9.4% | 10.9% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The West 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.