Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Blue Ridge is healthier than 38%
Blue Ridge differs from Alabama on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Blue Ridge. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Blue Ridge
Cancer and arthritis run high in Blue Ridge
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.9%), vs 8.2% across Alabama. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (35.2%), vs 30.3% across Alabama. Age is part of it: 38% of residents are 65 or older (Alabama 18%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Blue Ridge’s lead shrinks
Blue Ridge is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, but 38% of the 4,704 towns with similar household incomes ($96K–$161K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Blue Ridge keeps up with checkups
It beats Alabama on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.8% vs 80.4%) and dentist visits (69.4% vs 56.9%). Checkups ↓
Blue Ridge is short on primary care and dental care
Blue Ridge’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and dental care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Blue Ridge adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (30.2% vs 35.4%), frequent mental distress (13.3% vs 17.2%) and lack of emotional support (20% vs 24.8%) all run below Alabama. Mind & connection ↓
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 Alabama figure falls outside Blue Ridge’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Blue Ridge’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blue Ridge is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 93% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 36%).
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). Blue Ridge’s median household income is $128,482; among the 4,704 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($96K–$161K), it’s healthier than 38%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Blue Ridge adults…
Blue Ridge runs below AL on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Blue Ridge is an older town: 38% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Alabama. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Blue Ridge as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Blue Ridge adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Blue Ridge adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Blue Ridge does better than Alabama.
3 in 10 Blue Ridge 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.
Care in and near Blue Ridge
No hospital or community health center in Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Alabama
Share of adults, with the Alabama figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.2% of Blue Ridge adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Blue Ridge and the towns around it
Blue Ridge’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | A− | 32.7% | 13% | 10.1% | CDC place |
| Wetumpka | C− | 40.5% | 13.4% | 16.5% | CDC place |
| Redland | A− | 35.3% | 11.2% | 11.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Blue Ridge adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Blue Ridge
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Blue Ridge is better than Alabama on 17 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Blue Ridge’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Blue Ridge | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.4%13.9–21.4 | 22.8% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.6%10.5–14.9 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.2–15.3 | 17.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.7%26.4–39.7 | 39.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%11–15.3 | 14.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 44.3%39.9–48.8 | 43.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 46.4%42–50.9 | 40.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.2%31.4–39.1 | 30.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9%7.8–10.2 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.9%11.6–14.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.2%7–9.5 | 7.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.2%5.6–9.3 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.3–4.6 | 4.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.8%7.1–10.9 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.1%7.6–12.9 | 15.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.6%16.9–26.5 | 28.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%10.8–16 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.8%28.8–41.1 | 39.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6%4.2–8.1 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.8%80.9–86.6 | 80.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.4%66–72.7 | 56.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.7%88.8–92.3 | 85.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.5%80.9–85.9 | 78% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76.4%72–80.4 | 67% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.4%74.9–86.9 | 77.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21%17.8–24.5 | 23.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.2%25.3–35.2 | 35.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20%16.5–23.9 | 24.8% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.7%6.4–11.5 | 19.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.2%4.7–7.7 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.3–5 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%3.9–6 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.2%3.7–7.1 | 14% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.7%27.4–37.9 | 36.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15%12–18.3 | 17.1% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.5%9.5–13.8 | 16.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.9%8.5–11.4 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.3–4.9 | 6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.1%5.7–8.6 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.6–4 | 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 Alabama figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Blue Ridge
Is Blue Ridge a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blue Ridge is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: ≈ A− for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Blue Ridge?
CDC estimates 32.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.4% and 39.7%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Blue Ridge?
Elmore Community Hospital in Wetumpka, 3.6 miles in a straight line from Blue Ridge’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Blue Ridge have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.2–8.1%), against 9.9% across Alabama.
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 Blue Ridge more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Blue Ridge.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alabama 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.