Brush Fork’s CDC health estimates rank near the bottom of U.S. towns
Brush Fork differs from West Virginia on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brush Fork. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brush Fork
Brush Fork is in the bottom 1% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Brush Fork is healthier than only 1% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on all of them. Health Grade ↓
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Brush Fork
1 in 7 adults have COPD (14.9%), vs 10.6% across West Virginia. 1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.6%), vs 4.2% across West Virginia. Heart disease is also above the state: 11.4%, vs 8.7% across West Virginia. In all, Brush Fork runs above West Virginia on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (West Virginia 21%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Brush Fork
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.6%), vs 16.2% across West Virginia. No reliable transportation (11.1% vs 8.9%) and utility shut-off threats (13.6% vs 11%) are higher too. 25.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 17.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More high blood pressure in Brush Fork, and more people treating it
48.1% of adults have high blood pressure (West Virginia 44%), but 82.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 79.5% statewide. Checkups ↓
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 West Virginia figure falls outside Brush Fork’s likely range.
What’s behind Brush Fork’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brush Fork is near the bottom of U.S. towns. All seven of Brush Fork’s estimates fall in the lowest 11% of U.S. towns. The furthest from typical is physical distress: 20.8% of adults, against 17.3% across West Virginia and 13% nationally.
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). Brush Fork’s median household income is $70,098; among the 10,508 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($53K–$88K), it’s healthier than 0%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Brush Fork compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.3% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Brush Fork adults…
Brush Fork runs above WV on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Brush Fork is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across West Virginia. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Brush Fork as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
25.1% of Brush Fork adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 17.8% across West Virginia.
Keeping up with care
Share of Brush Fork adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks West Virginia.
Care in and near Brush Fork
No hospital or community health center in Brush Fork 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 Brush Fork; ≈ 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 West Virginia
Share of adults, with the West Virginia figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Brush Fork adults are doing
About the same as West Virginia on each measure.
4 in 10 Brush Fork 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.
Brush Fork and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brush Fork | D− | 42.1% | 19.6% | 24.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brush Fork adults live with a disability (West Virginia 39.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brush Fork
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brush Fork is better than West Virginia on 1 and worse on 15; on the rest, the West Virginia figure falls inside Brush Fork’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brush Fork | WV | U.S. | vs WV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 32.2%28.2–36.3 | 25.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.8%18.4–23.4 | 17.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 22.3%19.9–24.8 | 21.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.1%35.7–48.5 | 40.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 19.6%17.3–22 | 15.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 48.1%44.2–52.1 | 44% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 47%42.9–51.1 | 42.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 44.5%41–48 | 37.7% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 13%11.6–14.6 | 12.2% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.3%9.3–11.3 | 9.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.4%10.2–12.8 | 8.7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 14.9%13–17 | 10.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.6%5–6.2 | 4.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 24%20.3–28.3 | 19.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 24.3%20.8–28 | 19.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 38.6%33.5–43.9 | 32.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12.4%10.3–14.9 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.6%37.1–48.5 | 40.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.2%8–12.6 | 8.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82%79.1–84.8 | 81% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.3%48.8–56.2 | 55.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.7%83.6–87.7 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.3%80.1–84.5 | 79.5% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.3%61.8–70.8 | 66.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.9%66.5–80.4 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 31.9%28.2–36 | 30.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.9%31.2–40.9 | 33.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.5%20–27.2 | 23% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.6%17.4–24.5 | 16.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.4%12.1–16.9 | 12.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.6%11.8–15.7 | 11% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.1%9.7–12.9 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 25.1%21.5–29.3 | 17.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 47.3%42.4–52.2 | 39.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 25.5%22.4–28.7 | 18.7% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.9%19.3–24.7 | 18.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.6%10.3–13 | 9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8%7–9 | 5.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 14.2%12.4–16.1 | 10.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.5%5.7–7.4 | 4.6% | 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 West Virginia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Brush Fork
Is Brush Fork a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brush Fork is near the bottom of U.S. towns: D− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 0%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brush Fork?
CDC estimates 42.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.7% and 48.5%, against 40.6% across West Virginia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brush Fork?
Princeton Community Hospital Assn in Princeton, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Brush Fork’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brush Fork have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8–12.6%), against 8.5% across West 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 Brush Fork more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to D.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brush Fork.
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. 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.