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Lancaster County, VA Health Statistics

35.1% of adults have obesity and 18.1% have diabetes, among about 10,859 residents.

Obesity
35.1%
#100 of 133 · +1.8 pts
Diabetes
18.1%
#15 of 133 · +6.0 pts
Smoking
13.4%
+0.6 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
8.3%
-2.8 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Heart disease10.8% vs 6.3%
  • Cancer12.7% vs 7.7%
  • Stroke5.6% vs 3.4%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Binge drinking10.3% vs 15.9%
  • Uninsured (18-64)8.3% vs 11.1%
  • Housing insecurity9.8% vs 13.0%

All health measures

Lancaster County, VA compared with Virginia and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Obesity35.1%+1.8 pts34.5%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes18.1%+6.0 pts12.4%12.1%
High blood pressure49.1%+14.7 pts35.4%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)46.7%+10.3 pts37.9%36.4%
Coronary heart disease10.8%+4.5 pts6.1%6.3%
Stroke5.6%+2.2 pts3.3%3.4%
Current asthma10.8%+0.6 pts10.4%10.2%
COPD10.3%+3.8 pts6.2%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)12.7%+5.0 pts7.7%7.7%
Arthritis39.9%+14.7 pts26.2%25.2%
Depression20.7%-0.9 pts21.7%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)11.4%-1.2 pts11.1%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Current smoking13.4%+0.6 pts12.2%12.8%
Binge drinking10.3%-5.6 pts14.5%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity29.2%+4.0 pts23.7%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)34.3%-1.8 pts36.0%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereVAU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)8.3%-2.8 pts8.7%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year84.2%+7.4 pts79.2%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year66.6%+4.9 pts68.0%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)85.4%+9.9 pts76.8%75.5%
Cholesterol screening91.1%+4.9 pts87.5%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)73.5%+9.8 pts67.3%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)76.4%about the same78.6%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Fair or poor general health23.2%+3.4 pts18.1%19.8%
Frequent mental distress14.3%-2.2 pts15.9%16.5%
Frequent physical distress16.3%+3.0 pts12.8%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Any disability37.9%+7.5 pts29.9%30.4%
Mobility disability21.5%+7.7 pts13.5%13.8%
Cognitive disability13.9%about the same13.9%14.3%
Hearing disability10.7%+3.9 pts6.4%6.8%
Vision disability6.4%+1.1 pts4.7%5.3%
Self-care disability5.1%+1.3 pts3.4%3.8%
Independent living disability9.8%+1.7 pts7.7%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Loneliness30.7%-3.4 pts33.8%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support20.5%-4.1 pts21.6%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year13.8%-2.1 pts13.1%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year12.4%about the same10.7%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year9.8%-3.2 pts10.9%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year6.8%-1.2 pts7.1%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation7.3%-1.2 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 Lancaster County, VA?
About 35.1% of adults in Lancaster County, VA have obesity, compared with 34.5% in Virginia and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #100 of 133 counties in Virginia.
How common is diabetes in Lancaster County, VA?
About 18.1% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Virginia 12.4%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Lancaster County, VA?
About 13.4% 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.