Photo: Ben Schumin · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Potomac Mills is healthier than 45%
Potomac Mills differs from Virginia on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Potomac Mills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Potomac Mills
Against towns with similar incomes, Potomac Mills’ lead shrinks
Potomac Mills is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns, but 45% of the 7,902 towns with similar household incomes ($78K–$131K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Potomac Mills
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (16%), vs 13.1% across Virginia. Housing insecurity (13.5% vs 10.9%) is higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Many Potomac Mills adults are uninsured, but health holds up
1 in 8 working-age adults has no health insurance (12.5%, vs 8.7% across Virginia). Yet the share who say their health is fair or poor, 18.6%, is about level with the state’s 18.1%. Checkups ↓
Cancer and COPD are less common in Potomac Mills
Potomac Mills runs below Virginia on four chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.9% vs 7.7%), COPD (5% vs 6.2%) and heart disease (5.1% vs 6.1%). Conditions ↓
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 Potomac Mills’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Potomac Mills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Potomac Mills is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns, #134 of 253 in Virginia. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 80% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 45%).
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). Potomac Mills’ median household income is $104,545; among the 7,902 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($78K–$131K), it’s healthier than 45%, about where its income would put it.
Most Virginia towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Potomac Mills is healthier than 47% of graded towns, against 66% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11.8% of Potomac Mills adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.
Keeping up with care
Share of Potomac Mills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Virginia.
Out of every 100 Potomac Mills adults…
Potomac Mills runs below VA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Potomac Mills
No hospital or community health center in Potomac Mills 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 Potomac Mills; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Virginia
Share of adults, with the Virginia figure marked.
1.8 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
How Potomac Mills adults are doing
About the same as Virginia on each measure.
1 in 3 Potomac Mills 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.
Potomac Mills and the towns around it
Potomac Mills’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac Mills | B+ | 35% | 12.4% | 11.8% | CDC place |
| Lake Ridge | A− | 33.9% | 10.7% | 10.8% | CDC place |
| Dale City | B | 36% | 12.3% | 12.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Potomac Mills adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Potomac Mills
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Potomac Mills is better than Virginia on 5 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Virginia figure falls inside Potomac Mills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Potomac Mills | VA | U.S. | vs VA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.6%16.4–21.4 | 18.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11–14.2 | 12.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.4–17.3 | 15.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35%30.3–41.1 | 34.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.4%10.9–14.4 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.7%30.6–37.6 | 35.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.9%33.7–41.2 | 38% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.2%19.9–25.1 | 26.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.7–11.2 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.9%5.4–6.7 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.1%4.5–5.7 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5%4.5–5.8 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.3 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.2%5.8–8.8 | 11.1% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.8%10.1–13.9 | 12.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.7%22.2–29.9 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14%11.8–17.1 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4%34–42.7 | 36% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.5%10.5–14.8 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.3%76.4–82.7 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.4%64.4–70.2 | 67.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.3%85.6–89 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.8%73.1–79 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.8%58.5–66.9 | 67.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78%72–83.1 | 78.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%17.1–23 | 21.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.2%30–38.9 | 33.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.9%19.9–26.4 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16%13.8–18.6 | 13.1% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.5%11.6–15.5 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.1%7.1–9.4 | 7.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.4%7.3–9.5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.8%10–13.7 | 10.7% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30%26.6–34.1 | 30% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.2%11.6–15.1 | 13.5% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%12.1–15.6 | 14% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.4%4.8–6.2 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.7–5.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.3%6.5–8.3 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.1–3.8 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Potomac Mills
Is Potomac Mills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Potomac Mills is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #134 of 253 in Virginia. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Potomac Mills?
CDC estimates 35% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.3% and 41.1%, against 34.5% across Virginia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Potomac Mills?
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge, 1.6 miles in a straight line from Potomac Mills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Potomac Mills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.5–14.8%), 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 Potomac Mills more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Potomac Mills.
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.