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Health in Sylvester · CDC PLACES 2025

How healthy is Sylvester?

Sylvester differs from West Virginia on 6 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with heart disease (10.9% vs 8.7%) and more older adults who have lost all their teeth (24.4% vs 19.5%).

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sylvester. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out about health in Sylvester

Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.

★ What stands out · Getting care

Care in and near Sylvester

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

HNearest ERBoone Memorial HospitalMadison · 13.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLincoln County Primary Care CenterWhitesville · 2.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.1 mi
Lincoln County Primary Care Center
3 sites · nearest in Whitesville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.7 mi
Cabin Creek Health Systems
2 sites · nearest in Dawes
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.8 mi
Boone Memorial Hospital
Madison · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
17.5 mi
Montgomery General Hospital
Montgomery · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.8 mi
Camc Plateau Medical Center
Oak Hill · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.3 mi
Camc Charleston Surgical Hospital
Charleston · not rated
! Primary careSylvester’s county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Boone County · need score 20 of 25
! Dental careSylvester’s county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Boone County · need score 17 of 25
! Mental healthSylvester’s county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Boone County · 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 Sylvester; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Sylvester adults…

Sylvester runs above WV on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Sylvester adults have heart disease
West Virginia: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.4–12.3%
Better than WVWorseAbout the sameWest Virginia
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with West Virginia

Share of adults, with the West Virginia figure marked.

Get no exercise 38.8%WV 32.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 42.6%WV 40.7%
Binge drink 13.2%WV 14.1%
Smoke cigarettes 22.3%WV 19.3%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Sylvester, betterSylvester, worseAbout the sameWest Virginia
Where Sylvester gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81% Yearly checkupWV 81%
51% Dentist visitWV 56%
86% Cholesterol checkWV 87%
67% Colon screeningWV 67%
77% MammogramWV 76%
81% Taking BP medsWV 80%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sylvester 9.8% · West Virginia 1 in 12 (8.5%)
Mind & connection

How Sylvester adults are doing

About the same as West Virginia on each measure.

1 in 3Sylvester adults feel lonely
33.3% · WV 33.8% · About the same as WV
1 in 4Sylvester adults lack social or emotional support
24.5% · WV 23% · About the same as WV
1 in 3Sylvester adults have been diagnosed with depression
30.3% · WV 30.4% · About the same as WV
1 in 5Sylvester adults are in frequent mental distress
21.9% · WV 21.1% · About the same as WV
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Sylvester adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

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
Sylvester adults worry about having enough food
18.8% · WV 16.2%
About the same as WV
1 in 7
Sylvester adults worry about keeping their housing
13.6% · WV 12.4%
About the same as WV
1 in 8
Sylvester adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
11.9% · WV 11%
About the same as WV
1 in 10
Sylvester adults lack reliable transportation
10% · WV 8.9%
About the same as WV

20.9% of Sylvester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 17.8% across West Virginia.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

44.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs22.7%
Thinking or memory20.6%
Hearing11.4%
Errands alone12.8%
Vision6.9%
Dressing or bathing5.5%
West Virginia
Health Grade

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 131 people are less certain, so we show Sylvester's figures without a grade.

All 40 CDC measures for Sylvester
MeasureSylvesterLikely rangeWest Virginia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure48.9%44.3–53.2%44%worse
High cholesterol44.7%40.1–49.2%42.7%about the same
Obesity46.2%38.4–54.1%40.6%about the same
Arthritis41.3%37.4–45.1%37.7%about the same
Depression30.3%26.2–34.7%30.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)24.4%20.1–28.9%19.5%worse
Asthma12.4%10.9–14.1%12.2%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.5%9.4–11.7%9.6%about the same
Diabetes17.6%15.2–20.3%15.9%about the same
COPD12.9%10.8–15.1%10.6%worse
Heart disease10.9%9.4–12.3%8.7%worse
Stroke5.1%4.4–5.8%4.2%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes22.3%18.5–26%19.3%about the same
Binge drink13.2%10.7–16%14.1%about the same
Get no exercise38.8%32.7–44.9%32.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours42.6%35.7–49.6%40.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup80.9%77.4–84.2%81%about the same
Dentist visit51.3%47.1–55.3%55.5%worse
Cholesterol check86.3%83.9–88.5%86.8%about the same
Colon screening67.1%62.1–71.8%66.5%about the same
Mammogram76.5%69–83%76.1%about the same
Taking BP meds80.5%77.9–83%79.5%about the same
No health insurance9.8%7.3–12.7%8.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely33.3%28–39%33.8%about the same
Lack emotional support24.5%20.6–29%23%about the same
Frequent mental distress21.9%19.2–24.7%21.1%about the same
Fair or poor health29.9%25.4–34.6%25.4%about the same
Frequent physical distress19.5%16.9–22.4%17.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity18.8%15–23.2%16.2%about the same
Housing insecurity13.6%11.1–16.5%12.4%about the same
Utility shut-off threat11.9%10–14%11%about the same
No reliable transportation10%8.3–11.9%8.9%about the same
Receive SNAP20.9%16.8–25.6%17.8%
Disability
Any disability44.7%39.4–50.4%39.2%
Walking or climbing stairs22.7%19.4–26.2%18.7%
Thinking or memory20.6%17.7–23.7%18.6%
Hearing11.4%9.9–12.9%9%
Vision6.9%5.8–8.1%5.7%
Dressing or bathing5.5%4.6–6.5%4.6%
Errands alone12.8%10.9–15%10.9%

How CDC estimates town health

Modeled estimates

CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Sylvester door to door.

Close calls stay gray

Every figure has a likely range. When the West Virginia figure falls inside it, we don’t call Sylvester better or worse.

CDC’s own town estimate

CDC publishes Sylvester directly, so these are its own figures.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sylvester.

Town Square →
Weigh in
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Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The West Virginia figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. 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.

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