Health · Gary

Gary, WV health

Gary differs from West Virginia on 22 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (9.7% vs 14.1%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (85% vs 79.5%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing food insecurity (29.7% vs 16.2%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 861 people are less certain, so we show Gary's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Gary 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

Out of every 100 Gary adults…

57 of every 100 Gary adults have high blood pressure
West Virginia: 44 in 100 · worse · margin 52.3–61.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Gary, betterGary, worseToo close to callWest Virginia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 47.6% Gary
WV 32.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 46.4% Gary
WV 40.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 9.7% Gary
WV 14.1%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 27.7% Gary
WV 19.3%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

84%
Yearly checkup
WV 81%
43%
Dentist visit
WV 56%
87%
Cholesterol check
WV 87%
67%
Colon screening
WV 67%
70%
Mammogram
WV 76%
85%
Taking BP meds
WV 80%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Gary 12.1% · West Virginia 1 in 12 (8.5%)
Mind & connection

How Gary adults are doing

1 in 3Gary adults feel lonely
36.5% · West Virginia 33.8% · too close to call
1 in 3Gary adults have been diagnosed with depression
29.7% · West Virginia 30.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Gary adults lack social or emotional support
26.9% · West Virginia 23% · worse
1 in 4Gary adults are in frequent mental distress
22.5% · West Virginia 21.1% · 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 3
Gary adults worry about having enough food
29.7% · WV 16.2% · worse
1 in 5
Gary adults worry about keeping their housing
19.6% · WV 12.4% · worse
1 in 5
Gary adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
18.4% · WV 11% · worse
1 in 7
Gary adults lack reliable transportation
14.7% · WV 8.9% · worse

36.4% of Gary adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 17.8% across West Virginia.

Disability

Living with a disability

51.9%

of Gary adults live with a disability (West Virginia 39.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs31.9%
Thinking or memory23.4%
Hearing12.4%
Errands alone17.5%
Vision11.2%
Dressing or bathing9.2%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Gary

1 community health center in Gary, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERWelch Community HospitalWelch · 6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyClinch Valley Medical Center★★★★★ · 24.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careTug River Health AssociationGary · 1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1 mi
Tug River Health Association
4 sites · nearest in Gary
Sliding-scale feesIn Gary
Directions to nearest
6 mi
Welch Community Hospital
Welch · not rated
ER
6 mi
New River Health Association - Welch
Welch · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
16.6 mi
Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital
Tazewell · not rated
ER
23.3 mi
Princeton Community Hospital Assn
Princeton · ★★★★★
ER
24.3 mi
Clinch Valley Medical Center
Richlands · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careGary's county is a federal shortage area.McDowell County · need score 22 of 25
! Dental careGary's county is a federal shortage area.McDowell County · need score 22 of 25
! Mental healthGary's county is a federal shortage area.McDowell County · need score 19 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 Gary. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Gary
MeasureGaryMarginWest Virginia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure56.9%52.3–61.1%44%worse
High cholesterol47.8%42.9–52.5%42.7%worse
Obesity47.1%38.2–55.3%40.6%about the same
Arthritis48.5%44.3–52.3%37.7%worse
Depression29.7%25.7–33.8%30.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)32.4%27.6–37.5%19.5%worse
Asthma14%12.3–15.7%12.2%worse
Cancer (not skin)10.5%9.5–11.6%9.6%about the same
Diabetes25.7%22.8–28.6%15.9%worse
COPD18.5%16.5–20.6%10.6%worse
Heart disease13.6%12.2–15%8.7%worse
Stroke7.6%6.9–8.2%4.2%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes27.7%24.3–31.2%19.3%worse
Binge drink9.7%7.8–11.8%14.1%better
Get no exercise47.6%41.8–53.4%32.8%worse
Sleep under 7 hours46.4%39.3–53.6%40.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup83.6%80.5–86.2%81%about the same
Dentist visit42.8%39.1–46.7%55.5%worse
Cholesterol check87.2%85.4–88.8%86.8%about the same
Colon screening66.9%61.8–71.8%66.5%about the same
Mammogram70.2%61.9–77.8%76.1%about the same
Taking BP meds85%82.7–87%79.5%better
No health insurance12.1%10.2–14.3%8.5%worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely36.5%31.2–42.1%33.8%about the same
Lack emotional support26.9%23.1–31.1%23%worse
Frequent mental distress22.5%20.1–25%21.1%about the same
Fair or poor health39.5%35.5–43.7%25.4%worse
Frequent physical distress23.9%21.3–26.6%17.3%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity29.7%25.9–33.5%16.2%worse
Housing insecurity19.6%17.2–22.4%12.4%worse
Utility shut-off threat18.4%16.4–20.6%11%worse
No reliable transportation14.7%13–16.5%8.9%worse
Receive SNAP36.4%32.5–40.4%17.8%
Disability
Any disability51.9%46.9–56.9%39.2%
Walking or climbing stairs31.9%28.6–35.2%18.7%
Thinking or memory23.4%20.9–26%18.6%
Hearing12.4%11–13.8%9%
Vision11.2%10.1–12.3%5.7%
Dressing or bathing9.2%8.3–10.1%4.6%
Errands alone17.5%15.7–19.5%10.9%
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 Gary door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the West Virginia figure falls inside it, we don't call Gary better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Gary directly, so these are its own figures.

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.

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