Priscilla Strode Turner House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Falling Waters is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns
Falling Waters differs from West Virginia on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Falling Waters. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Falling Waters
Heart disease and COPD are less common in Falling Waters
Falling Waters runs below West Virginia on seven chronic conditions, most of all heart disease (5.5% vs 8.7%), COPD (6.9% vs 10.6%) and stroke (2.8% vs 4.2%). A young population is part of it: only 12% of residents are 65 or older (West Virginia 21%). Conditions ↓
Falling Waters trails towns with similar incomes
Falling Waters is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, and only 22% of the 10,130 towns with similar household incomes ($66K–$111K), so income alone doesn’t explain its grade. Health Grade ↓
Falling Waters is an active town
Only 27.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 32.8% across West 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 West Virginia figure falls outside Falling Waters’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Falling Waters’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Falling Waters is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 57% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Falling Waters’ median household income is $88,466; among the 10,130 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$111K), it’s healthier than 22%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Where Falling Waters compares well: coronary heart disease, 5.5% (U.S. 6.4%); stroke, 2.8% (U.S. 3.4%).
Out of every 100 Falling Waters adults…
Falling Waters runs below WV on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Falling Waters residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across West Virginia. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
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.
Care in and near Falling Waters
No hospital or community health center in Falling Waters 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 Falling Waters; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Falling Waters adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks West Virginia.
How Falling Waters adults are doing
About the same as West Virginia on each measure.
1 in 3 Falling Waters 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.
13.1% of Falling Waters adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 17.8% across West Virginia.
Falling Waters and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling Waters | C+ | 38.2% | 11.6% | 16.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Falling Waters adults live with a disability (West Virginia 39.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Falling Waters
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Falling Waters is better than West Virginia on 13 and worse on 1; on the rest, the West Virginia figure falls inside Falling Waters’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Falling Waters | WV | U.S. | vs WV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.2%16.4–22.5 | 25.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%12.2–16.2 | 17.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.6%19.1–24.7 | 21.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.2%32.5–44.6 | 40.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.6%10–13.4 | 15.9% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 36.5%32.9–40.5 | 44% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.3%33.7–41.3 | 42.7% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 28.9%25.8–32.2 | 37.7% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.9%10.5–13.5 | 12.2% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7%6.3–7.9 | 9.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.5%4.8–6.3 | 8.7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.9%5.8–8.1 | 10.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 4.2% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.7%12.9–18.9 | 19.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.5%13.5–20.1 | 19.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.2%22.9–32.2 | 32.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.6%13.8–19.7 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.3%33.2–43.6 | 40.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.1%5.5–9.1 | 8.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.5%74.9–81.8 | 81% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56.5%52.8–60.2 | 55.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%84.4–88.9 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.7%69.5–75.9 | 79.5% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.7%64.1–72.9 | 66.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.3%72.9–84.9 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 29.5%25.9–33.6 | 30.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.8%28.3–37.7 | 33.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.3%19.7–27.2 | 23% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.9%10.3–15.8 | 16.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.1%9.9–14.4 | 12.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.4%8.7–12.2 | 11% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.7%6.4–9.1 | 8.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.1%10.2–16.1 | 17.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.2%27.2–36.1 | 39.2% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.7%10.7–14.8 | 18.7% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.6%14.3–19.2 | 18.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.7%5–6.6 | 9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.9%3.5–4.5 | 5.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8%6.9–9.4 | 10.9% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.7–3.6 | 4.6% | 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 West Virginia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Falling Waters
Is Falling Waters a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Falling Waters is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 22%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Falling Waters?
CDC estimates 38.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.5% and 44.6%, against 40.6% across West Virginia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Falling Waters?
Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, 7.8 miles in a straight line from Falling Waters’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Falling Waters have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–9.1%), 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 Falling Waters 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 Falling Waters.
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.