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Amtrak on Afton MountainPhoto: jpmueller99 from Shenandoah Valley of VA, USA · CC BY 2.0
–Not graded
Health in Afton · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Afton residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Afton, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Afton

Heart disease, COPD and cancer run high in Afton

1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9%), vs 6.1% across Virginia. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (9%), vs 6.2% across Virginia. Cancer is also above the state: 11%, vs 7.7% across Virginia. In all, Afton runs above Virginia on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 52% of residents are 65 or older (Virginia 17%), and heart disease, COPD and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Afton, and more people treating it

42.5% of adults have high blood pressure (Virginia 35.4%), but 81.4% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.8% statewide. Checkups ↓

Afton is short on primary care and dental care

Afton’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 Afton’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Afton adults…

Afton runs above VA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Afton adults have heart disease
Virginia: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 7.6–10.4%
Better than VAWorseAbout the sameVirginia
Why age matters here

Afton is an older town: 52% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Virginia. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Afton as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Afton52%
Virginia17%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupVA 79%
63%Dentist visitVA 68%
89%Cholesterol checkVA 88%
69%Colon screeningVA 67%
77%MammogramVA 79%
81%Taking BP medsVA 77%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Afton 7.9% · Virginia 1 in 11 (8.7%)
Getting care

Care in and near Afton

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

HNearest ERAugusta HealthFishersville · 9.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAugusta Health★★★★★ · 9.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCentral Virginia Health ServicesCharlottesville · 18.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.6 mi
Augusta Health
Fishersville · ★★★★★
ER
18.8 mi
Central Virginia Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Charlottesville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
≈19 mi
University of Virginia Medical Center
Charlottesville · ★★★★★
ER
21.3 mi
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
Charlottesville · ★★★★★
ER
22.4 mi
Blue Ridge Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Arrington
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
26.6 mi
Sentara RMH Medical Center
Harrisonburg · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Afton itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Afton itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Afton itself

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 Afton; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Virginia

Share of adults, with the Virginia figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.7%VA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.4%VA 36%
Binge drink 13.9%VA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettes 14.5%VA 12.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Afton, betterAfton, worseAbout the sameVirginia
Where Afton gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Mind & connection

How Afton adults are doing

About the same as Virginia on each measure.

3 in 10Afton adults feel lonely
29.9% · VA 33.8% · About the same as VA
1 in 5Afton adults lack social or emotional support
18.8% · VA 21.6% · About the same as VA
1 in 4Afton adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.5% · VA 21.8% · About the same as VA
1 in 7Afton adults are in frequent mental distress
15.1% · VA 15.9% · About the same as VA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Afton 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 9
Afton adults worry about having enough food
10.8% · VA 13.1%
About the same as VA
1 in 12
Afton adults worry about keeping their housing
8.1% · VA 10.9%
Better than VA
1 in 18
Afton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · VA 7.1%
Better than VA
1 in 16
Afton adults lack reliable transportation
6.2% · VA 7.4%
About the same as VA

9.3% of Afton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.

Around town

Afton and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34.4%

of Afton adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17%
Thinking or memory14%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone8.3%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Virginia

Questions about health in Afton

Why doesn’t Afton have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Afton.

What hospital is closest to Afton?

Augusta Health in Fishersville, 9.6 miles in a straight line from Afton’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.