Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Bluefield is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns
Bluefield trails Virginia on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bluefield. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bluefield
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Bluefield
1 in 10 adults have COPD (9.6%), vs 6.2% across Virginia. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.5%), vs 6.1% across Virginia. Stroke is also above the state: 4.4%, vs 3.3% across Virginia. In all, Bluefield runs above Virginia on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Virginia 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in Bluefield
60.6% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 67.9% across Virginia. Among those 65 and older, 20.2% have lost all their teeth (Virginia 11.1%). Bluefield’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓
Bluefield is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Bluefield’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
More Bluefield adults live with a disability
2 in 5 adults live with a disability (39.3%, vs 30% across Virginia). The biggest difference is hearing loss: 9% vs 6.4%. Disability ↓
Bluefield is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Bluefield is healthier than 22%. Against the 7,136 towns with similar household incomes ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 43%. Health Grade ↓
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 Bluefield’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Bluefield’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bluefield is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns, #221 of 253 in Virginia. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 43% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 16%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Bluefield’s median household income is $54,041; among the 7,136 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 43%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Bluefield adults…
Bluefield runs above VA on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Bluefield is an older town: 25% 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 Bluefield as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bluefield adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Virginia.
Care in and near Bluefield
1 community health center in Bluefield, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Bluefield; ≈ 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).
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bluefield adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Everyday habits, side by side with Virginia
Share of adults, with the Virginia figure marked.
15 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
How Bluefield adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Bluefield runs above Virginia.
4 in 10 Bluefield adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14% of Bluefield adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.
Bluefield and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield | C− | 38.2% | 14.9% | 15.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Every CDC estimate for Bluefield
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bluefield is better than Virginia on 0 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Virginia figure falls inside Bluefield’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bluefield | VA | U.S. | vs VA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.3%19.9–26.7 | 18.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.2–18.6 | 12.8% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.6%16.2–20.9 | 15.9% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.2%30.9–46 | 34.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.9%12.8–16.9 | 12.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.8%36.6–44.9 | 35.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.2%36.8–45.5 | 38% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.5%30–36.9 | 26.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.1–13 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.7–10.5 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.5–9.4 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.6%8.2–11.1 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.9–4.8 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.2%16.7–23.8 | 11.1% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.5%12.8–18.1 | 12.2% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29%24–33.8 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%10.9–16.3 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.1%33.6–46.6 | 36% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.4%7.4–11.9 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.4%76.9–83.6 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.6%57–64 | 67.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.4%83–87.5 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.2%76.5–81.6 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.1%59.9–69.7 | 67.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.3%64–79.1 | 78.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.5%22.6–30.3 | 21.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 36%30.8–41.5 | 33.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.9%17.6–24.5 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.3%12.7–18.5 | 13.1% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.1%9.2–13.2 | 10.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.5%6.4–8.7 | 7.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.7%7.4–10.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14%11.5–17.1 | 10.7% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.3%34–44.1 | 30% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.8%16.2–21.4 | 13.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.5%15.1–20 | 14% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%7.9–10.1 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.1%5.3–6.9 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.6%9.2–12.1 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%4–5.2 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Virginia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bluefield
Is Bluefield a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bluefield is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #221 of 253 in Virginia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 43%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bluefield?
CDC estimates 38.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.9% and 46%, against 34.5% across Virginia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bluefield?
Princeton Community Hospital Assn in Princeton, 12.6 miles in a straight line from Bluefield’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bluefield have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.4–11.9%), against 8.7% across Virginia.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Bluefield more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bluefield.
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. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. 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.