Watauga County, located in North Carolina, is home to a variety of health services. While the area’s population varies, there are several hospitals and local medical facilities that serve the county’s inhabitants. Many of these facilities offer primary care services from family and internal medicine providers, as well as specialty care for conditions such as cancer, mental health issues, and chronic diseases. Watauga County also has a wide range of community services available to help people access healthcare services outside the hospital setting. Local resources include free clinics offering preventive care and screenings, food banks providing nutritional support, public health departments providing immunizations and other preventative measures, and social service organizations offering assistance with transportation or insurance coverage. With these valuable services available in Watauga County, residents can easily access the essential healthcare they need to maintain their wellbeing.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 236 physicians per 100,000 population in Watauga County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Watauga County area is 113.3 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
113.3 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Watauga County area is 80 (100=best). The US average is 55.
80 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Watauga County area is 100 (100=best). The US average is 87.
100 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Watauga County commutes 20.0 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Watauga County area is 82 (100=best). The US average is 58.
82 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.