Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Cherokee

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Cherokee-Main-St-alPhoto: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Cherokee · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Cherokee residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Cherokee, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cherokee. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Cherokee

COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Cherokee

1 in 9 adults have COPD (11.2%), vs 8% across Alabama. 1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.5%), vs 4.1% across Alabama. Heart disease is also above the state: 9.6%, vs 7.3% across Alabama. In all, Cherokee runs above Alabama on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Cherokee

1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.3%), vs 15.1% across Alabama. Habits ↓

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 Cherokee’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Cherokee adults…

Cherokee runs above AL on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Cherokee adults have COPD
Alabama: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 9.6–13%
Better than ALWorseAbout the sameAlabama
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Alabama

Share of adults, with the Alabama figure marked.

Get no exercise 33.4%AL 28.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 41.6%AL 39.1%
Binge drink 12.9%AL 14.1%
Smoke cigarettes 19.3%AL 15.1%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Cherokee, betterCherokee, worseAbout the sameAlabama
Where Cherokee gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Getting care

Care in and near Cherokee

No hospital or community health center in Cherokee itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERTishomingo Health ServicesIuka · 14.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyRussellville Hospital★★★★★ · 17.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careFamily Health Care ClinicFlorence · 16.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
14.1 mi
Tishomingo Health Services
Iuka · ★★★★★
ER
15.2 mi
Helen Keller Hospital
Sheffield · ★★★★★
ER
16.1 mi
Family Health Care Clinic
4 sites · nearest in Florence
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
16.4 mi
North Alabama Shoals Hospital
Muscle Shoals · not rated
ER
17.2 mi
North MS Primary Health Care
3 sites · nearest in Tishomingo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.7 mi
Russellville Hospital
Russellville · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Cherokee itself
✓ Dental careCherokee is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Cherokee itself

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 Cherokee; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Cherokee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.

81%Yearly checkupAL 80%
53%Dentist visitAL 57%
85%Cholesterol checkAL 86%
64%Colon screeningAL 67%
75%MammogramAL 78%
81%Taking BP medsAL 78%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Cherokee 10.9% · Alabama 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Cherokee adults are doing

About the same as Alabama on each measure.

1 in 3Cherokee adults feel lonely
35.1% · AL 35.4% · About the same as AL
1 in 4Cherokee adults lack social or emotional support
25.5% · AL 24.8% · About the same as AL
1 in 4Cherokee adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.1% · AL 23.3% · About the same as AL
1 in 5Cherokee adults are in frequent mental distress
18.5% · AL 17.2% · About the same as AL
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Cherokee adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 4
Cherokee adults worry about having enough food
22.6% · AL 19.2%
About the same as AL
1 in 7
Cherokee adults worry about keeping their housing
15.3% · AL 13.9%
About the same as AL
1 in 9
Cherokee adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
11.1% · AL 9.6%
About the same as AL
1 in 9
Cherokee adults lack reliable transportation
11.2% · AL 9.8%
About the same as AL

18.3% of Cherokee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.

Around town

Cherokee and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

42.9%

of Cherokee adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs22.5%
Thinking or memory18.5%
Hearing10.5%
Errands alone12.4%
Vision7.8%
Dressing or bathing6.2%
Alabama

Questions about health in Cherokee

Why doesn’t Cherokee have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Cherokee.

What hospital is closest to Cherokee?

Tishomingo Health Services in Iuka, 14.1 miles in a straight line from Cherokee’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cherokee.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.