Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Falls Church is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Falls Church beats Virginia on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Falls Church. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Falls Church
COPD and stroke are less common in Falls Church
Falls Church runs below Virginia on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.6% vs 6.2%), stroke (2.1% vs 3.3%) and diabetes (8.7% vs 12.5%). Conditions ↓
Falls Church is an active town
Only 15.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across Virginia. Habits ↓
Few Falls Church adults smoke
6.9% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 12.2% across Virginia. Habits ↓
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 Falls Church’s likely range.
What’s behind Falls Church’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Falls Church is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, #28 of 253 in Virginia. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than almost every town); the weakest is obesity, still better than 87%.
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). Falls Church’s median household income is $143,262; among the 3,294 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($107K–$179K), it’s healthier than 95%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Falls Church adults…
Falls Church runs below VA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Virginia
Share of adults, with the Virginia figure marked.
2.1 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Care in and near Falls Church
No hospital or community health center in Falls Church itself. These are the nearest.
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 Falls Church; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Falls Church adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Virginia.
How Falls Church adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Falls Church does better than Virginia.
3 in 10 Falls Church 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.
3.7% of Falls Church adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.
Falls Church and the towns around it
Falls Church’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 6 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls Church | A+ | 29% | 8.7% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Idylwood | A+ | 23.6% | 9.5% | 8.7% | CDC place |
| West Falls Church | A− | 26.2% | 11.2% | 10.5% | CDC place |
| McLean | A+ | 21.1% | 10.1% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Arlington | A+ | 24.9% | 7.3% | 7% | CDC place |
| Seven Corners | C+ | 29.4% | 14.6% | 13.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Falls Church adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Falls Church
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Falls Church is better than Virginia on 20 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Virginia figure falls inside Falls Church’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Falls Church | VA | U.S. | vs VA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10.9%9.4–12.7 | 18.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.2%8–10.5 | 12.8% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.6%11–14.3 | 15.9% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29%21.9–37.1 | 34.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.7%7.5–10.1 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.8%25–32.9 | 35.4% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.3%31.9–40.9 | 38% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.8%19.9–25.9 | 26.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.1%7.3–8.9 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.6%3.1–4.2 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.1%1.9–2.4 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.4%3.5–5.4 | 11.1% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.9%5.7–8.3 | 12.2% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.9%13–19.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13–19.2 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.5%25.2–38.5 | 36% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5%4.1–5.9 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.5%75.7–82.7 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 78.8%76–81.4 | 67.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.4%88.9–91.7 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.5%72.1–78.5 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.8%67.3–76.2 | 67.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.6%72.6–85.6 | 78.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.7%17.5–24.2 | 21.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.6%25–34.4 | 33.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 16.9%14.2–19.7 | 21.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.8%4.7–6.9 | 13.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.6%4.7–6.7 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.6%3–4.2 | 7.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4%3.4–4.6 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.7%3–4.6 | 10.7% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21.1%17.9–24.6 | 30% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.3%7.1–9.6 | 13.5% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.4%8.2–10.7 | 14% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.9%4.3–5.5 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%4–5.2 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.7–2.1 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Falls Church
Is Falls Church a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Falls Church is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #28 of 253 in Virginia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Falls Church?
CDC estimates 29% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.9% and 37.1%, against 34.5% across Virginia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Falls Church?
Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Falls Church’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Falls Church have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–5.9%), 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 Falls Church more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Falls Church.
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.