Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Cottondale is healthier than 52%
Cottondale trails Alabama on 6 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cottondale. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cottondale
Making ends meet is harder in Cottondale
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (23.5%), vs 19.2% across Alabama. Utility shut-off threats (11.9% vs 9.6%) and housing insecurity (17.2% vs 13.9%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Cottondale is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Cottondale is healthier than 16%. Against the 3,957 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$56K), it’s healthier than 52%. Health Grade ↓
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 Cottondale’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Cottondale’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cottondale is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns, #126 of 187 in Alabama. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 31% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 4%).
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). Cottondale’s median household income is $44,877; among the 3,957 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$56K), it’s healthier than 52%, about where its income would put it.
Few Alabama towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Cottondale is healthier than 33% of graded towns, against 16% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
17.4% of Cottondale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Out of every 100 Cottondale adults…
Cottondale runs above AL on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Cottondale
No hospital or community health center in Cottondale 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 Cottondale; ≈ 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.
0.2 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Cottondale adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Cottondale adults are doing
About the same as Alabama on each measure.
1 in 3 Cottondale 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.
Cottondale and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottondale | C− | 44.7% | 14.8% | 16.7% | CDC place |
| Tuscaloosa | C | 42.6% | 12% | 14.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cottondale adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cottondale
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cottondale is better than Alabama on 0 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Cottondale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cottondale | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25%22.1–28.2 | 22.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.5–17.2 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.4%16.3–20.6 | 17.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 44.7%38.9–50.8 | 39.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.8%13–16.8 | 14.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 44.4%40.7–48.3 | 43.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.5%37.6–45.5 | 40.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.1%27.1–33.2 | 30.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.3–11.9 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.8–8.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.5%6.7–8.4 | 7.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.7%7.6–9.9 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.3%4–4.8 | 4.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.5%16.2–23.1 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.7%14.4–19.4 | 15.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30.3%26.3–34.8 | 28.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.2%11.8–17 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.6%37.3–48 | 39.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.7%9.8–13.7 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.6%78.4–84.5 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.8%49–56.7 | 56.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.8%82.7–86.7 | 85.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.3%75.6–80.8 | 78% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.4%60.4–70 | 67% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.1%71.6–83.7 | 77.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%21.4–28.3 | 23.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.3%30–39.1 | 35.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.6%22.2–29.4 | 24.8% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 23.5%20.4–27 | 19.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 17.2%14.9–19.8 | 13.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11.9%10.4–13.6 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.6%10.2–13.2 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 17.4%14.8–20.2 | 14% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 38.7%34.6–43.1 | 36.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.3%16.1–20.6 | 17.1% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18%16–20.2 | 16.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.5–9.4 | 8.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.8%6.1–7.6 | 6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.9%9.7–12.3 | 9.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.3%4.7–5.9 | 4.6% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Cottondale
Is Cottondale a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cottondale is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #126 of 187 in Alabama. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cottondale?
CDC estimates 44.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.9% and 50.8%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cottondale?
DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, 4.3 miles in a straight line from Cottondale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cottondale have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.8–13.7%), 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 Cottondale more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cottondale.
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.