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Newport News city, VA Health Statistics

40.8% of adults have obesity and 13.5% have diabetes, among about 183,118 residents.

Obesity
40.8%
#27 of 133 · +7.5 pts
Diabetes
13.5%
#77 of 133 · +1.4 pts
Smoking
14.1%
+1.3 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
10.3%
-0.8 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Utility shutoff threat10.6% vs 8.0%
  • Received SNAP16.5% vs 12.8%
  • Obesity40.8% vs 33.3%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Cancer6.3% vs 7.7%
  • Hearing5.8% vs 6.8%
  • Binge drinking13.6% vs 15.9%

All health measures

Newport News city, VA compared with Virginia and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Obesity40.8%+7.5 pts34.5%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes13.5%+1.4 pts12.4%12.1%
High blood pressure37.6%+3.2 pts35.4%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)36.3%about the same37.9%36.4%
Coronary heart disease5.9%about the same6.1%6.3%
Stroke3.6%about the same3.3%3.4%
Current asthma11.6%+1.4 pts10.4%10.2%
COPD6.5%about the same6.2%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)6.3%-1.4 pts7.7%7.7%
Arthritis26.6%+1.4 pts26.2%25.2%
Depression22.2%+0.6 pts21.7%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)12.7%about the same11.1%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Current smoking14.1%+1.3 pts12.2%12.8%
Binge drinking13.6%-2.3 pts14.5%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity28.1%+2.9 pts23.7%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)40.8%+4.7 pts36.0%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereVAU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)10.3%-0.8 pts8.7%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year79.3%+2.5 pts79.2%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year61.5%about the same68.0%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)75.3%about the same76.8%75.5%
Cholesterol screening85.3%-0.9 pts87.5%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)67.1%+3.4 pts67.3%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)80.4%+4.3 pts78.6%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Fair or poor general health21.1%+1.3 pts18.1%19.8%
Frequent mental distress18.1%+1.6 pts15.9%16.5%
Frequent physical distress13.6%about the same12.8%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Any disability32.7%+2.3 pts29.9%30.4%
Mobility disability15.1%+1.3 pts13.5%13.8%
Cognitive disability16.1%+1.8 pts13.9%14.3%
Hearing disability5.8%-1.0 pts6.4%6.8%
Vision disability5.7%about the same4.7%5.3%
Self-care disability4.1%about the same3.4%3.8%
Independent living disability9.2%+1.1 pts7.7%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereVAU.S.
Loneliness36.9%+2.8 pts33.8%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support24.3%about the same21.6%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year18.7%+2.8 pts13.1%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year16.5%+3.7 pts10.7%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year15.5%+2.5 pts10.9%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year10.6%+2.6 pts7.1%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation10.2%+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 Newport News city, VA?
About 40.8% of adults in Newport News city, VA have obesity, compared with 34.5% in Virginia and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #27 of 133 counties in Virginia.
How common is diabetes in Newport News city, VA?
About 13.5% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Virginia 12.4%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Newport News city, VA?
About 14.1% 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.