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Alexandria, VA Health Statistics

31.7% of adults have obesity and 9.2% have diabetes, among about 159,467 residents.

Obesity
31.7%
#522 of 667 · -1.6 pts
Diabetes
9.2%
#604 of 667 · -2.9 pts
Smoking
9.1%
-3.7 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
8.6%
-2.5 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • No measure is more than 10% above the U.S. rate.

Lower than the U.S.

  • Tooth loss (65+)6.7% vs 12.6%
  • COPD3.9% vs 6.5%
  • Heart disease4.0% vs 6.3%

All health measures

Alexandria, VA compared with Virginia and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Obesity31.7%-1.6 pts34.5%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes9.2%-2.9 pts12.4%12.1%
High blood pressure28.6%-5.8 pts35.4%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)34.3%-2.1 pts37.9%36.4%
Coronary heart disease4.0%-2.3 pts6.1%6.3%
Stroke2.3%-1.1 pts3.3%3.4%
Current asthma10.0%about the same10.4%10.2%
COPD3.9%-2.6 pts6.2%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)6.1%-1.6 pts7.7%7.7%
Arthritis20.5%-4.7 pts26.2%25.2%
Depression21.4%about the same21.7%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)6.7%-5.9 pts11.1%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Current smoking9.1%-3.7 pts12.2%12.8%
Binge drinking16.5%+0.6 pts14.5%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity19.5%-5.7 pts23.7%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)34.7%-1.4 pts36.0%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereVAU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)8.6%-2.5 pts8.7%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year77.2%about the same79.2%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year71.3%+9.6 pts68.0%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)71.3%-4.2 pts76.8%75.5%
Cholesterol screening87.7%+1.5 pts87.5%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)68.5%+4.8 pts67.3%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)80.5%+4.4 pts78.6%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Fair or poor general health14.7%-5.1 pts18.1%19.8%
Frequent mental distress15.0%-1.5 pts15.9%16.5%
Frequent physical distress10.4%-2.9 pts12.8%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Any disability24.4%-6.0 pts29.9%30.4%
Mobility disability9.3%-4.5 pts13.5%13.8%
Cognitive disability12.3%-2.0 pts13.9%14.3%
Hearing disability4.5%-2.3 pts6.4%6.8%
Vision disability3.7%-1.6 pts4.7%5.3%
Self-care disability2.5%-1.3 pts3.4%3.8%
Independent living disability6.0%-2.1 pts7.7%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Lack of social and emotional support20.6%-4.0 pts21.6%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year11.7%-4.2 pts13.1%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year9.0%-3.8 pts10.7%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year10.6%-2.4 pts10.9%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year6.7%-1.3 pts7.1%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation6.8%-1.7 pts7.4%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in Alexandria, VA?
About 31.7% of adults in Alexandria, VA have obesity, compared with 34.5% in Virginia and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #522 of 667 cities and towns in Virginia.
How common is diabetes in Alexandria, VA?
About 9.2% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Virginia 12.4%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Alexandria, VA?
About 9.1% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.