Health · Reader

Reader, WV health

Reader differs from West Virginia on 17 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (83.2% vs 79.5%) and more adults getting cholesterol checked (89% vs 86.8%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (34.4% vs 19.5%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 193 people are less certain, so we show Reader's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Reader 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 Reader adults…

52 of every 100 Reader adults have high blood pressure
West Virginia: 44 in 100 · worse · margin 46.7–56.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Reader, betterReader, worseToo close to callWest Virginia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 41.4% Reader
WV 32.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 46.9% Reader
WV 40.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 12.2% Reader
WV 14.1%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 25.9% Reader
WV 19.3%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%
Yearly checkup
WV 81%
48%
Dentist visit
WV 56%
89%
Cholesterol check
WV 87%
65%
Colon screening
WV 67%
70%
Mammogram
WV 76%
83%
Taking BP meds
WV 80%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Reader 8.9% · West Virginia 1 in 12 (8.5%)
Mind & connection

How Reader adults are doing

1 in 3Reader adults feel lonely
33.3% · West Virginia 33.8% · too close to call
1 in 3Reader adults have been diagnosed with depression
31.3% · West Virginia 30.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Reader adults lack social or emotional support
24.9% · West Virginia 23% · too close to call
1 in 5Reader adults are in frequent mental distress
21.8% · 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 5
Reader adults worry about having enough food
19.1% · WV 16.2% · about the same
1 in 7
Reader adults worry about keeping their housing
14% · WV 12.4% · about the same
1 in 8
Reader adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.1% · WV 11% · worse
1 in 10
Reader adults lack reliable transportation
9.7% · WV 8.9% · about the same

23.4% of Reader adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 17.8% across West Virginia.

Disability

Living with a disability

45.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs24.8%
Thinking or memory20.2%
Hearing10.9%
Errands alone12.9%
Vision7.3%
Dressing or bathing6.4%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Reader

No hospital or community health center in Reader itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERWetzel County HospitalNew Martinsville · 10.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyClarksburg VA Medical Center★★★★★ · 28.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Care of West VirginiaNew Martinsville · 9.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.1 mi
Community Care of West Virginia
2 sites · nearest in New Martinsville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.4 mi
Wetzel County Hospital
New Martinsville · ★★★★★
ER
14.6 mi
Sistersville General Hospital
Sistersville · not rated
ERRural critical access
17.2 mi
Community Health Center of Northeastern Wetzel County
Burton · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
26.3 mi
Reynolds Memorial Hospital
Glen Dale · ★★★★★
ER
28.4 mi
Clarksburg VA Medical Center
Clarksburg · ★★★★★
ERVA
! Primary careReader's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Wetzel County · need score 18 of 25
! Dental careReader's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Wetzel County · need score 18 of 25
! Mental healthReader's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Wetzel County · need score 13 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 Reader. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Reader
MeasureReaderMarginWest Virginia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure51.5%46.7–56.3%44%worse
High cholesterol49.1%44.2–54.1%42.7%worse
Obesity46.7%38.8–55.2%40.6%about the same
Arthritis46.5%42.3–51%37.7%worse
Depression31.3%27–35.8%30.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)34.4%29.1–40%19.5%worse
Asthma12.9%11.3–14.6%12.2%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.9%9.7–12.1%9.6%worse
Diabetes20.7%18–23.6%15.9%worse
COPD15%12.5–17.6%10.6%worse
Heart disease11.4%9.9–13%8.7%worse
Stroke5.5%4.8–6.3%4.2%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes25.9%21.7–30.6%19.3%worse
Binge drink12.2%9.9–14.8%14.1%about the same
Get no exercise41.4%35.1–47.9%32.8%worse
Sleep under 7 hours46.9%39.6–54.2%40.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup82.3%79.1–85.3%81%about the same
Dentist visit47.6%43.6–51.7%55.5%worse
Cholesterol check89%86.9–90.9%86.8%better
Colon screening65.3%60.1–70.2%66.5%about the same
Mammogram70.1%61.6–78%76.1%about the same
Taking BP meds83.2%80.2–85.9%79.5%better
No health insurance8.9%6.7–11.4%8.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely33.3%28–39.3%33.8%about the same
Lack emotional support24.9%20.8–29.6%23%about the same
Frequent mental distress21.8%19.3–24.7%21.1%about the same
Fair or poor health32%27.2–37.2%25.4%worse
Frequent physical distress21.5%18.7–24.7%17.3%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity19.1%15.1–23.8%16.2%about the same
Housing insecurity14%11.5–16.9%12.4%about the same
Utility shut-off threat13.1%11.1–15.3%11%worse
No reliable transportation9.7%8.2–11.6%8.9%about the same
Receive SNAP23.4%18.9–28.4%17.8%
Disability
Any disability45.1%39.3–50.9%39.2%
Walking or climbing stairs24.8%21.1–28.8%18.7%
Thinking or memory20.2%17.2–23.3%18.6%
Hearing10.9%9.4–12.4%9%
Vision7.3%6.2–8.5%5.7%
Dressing or bathing6.4%5.4–7.6%4.6%
Errands alone12.9%11–15%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 Reader 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 Reader better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Reader 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/19 · 2025-01-01