Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Highland Lakes is healthier than 43%
Highland Lakes differs from Alabama on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Highland Lakes. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Highland Lakes
Against towns with similar incomes, Highland Lakes’ lead shrinks
Highland Lakes is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, but 43% of the 1,709 towns with similar household incomes ($127K–$212K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Highland Lakes is an active town
Only 17.4% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 28.7% across Alabama. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Highland Lakes
Highland Lakes runs below Alabama on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (5.2% vs 8%), stroke (2.9% vs 4.1%) and diabetes (11.3% vs 14.8%). Conditions ↓
Few Highland Lakes adults smoke
8.6% of adults smoke cigarettes, 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 Highland Lakes’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Highland Lakes’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Highland Lakes is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #8 of 187 in Alabama. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 97% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 62%.
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). Highland Lakes’ median household income is $169,361; among the 1,709 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($127K–$212K), it’s healthier than 43%, less than its income alone would suggest.
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.
Out of every 100 Highland Lakes adults…
Highland Lakes runs below AL on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Highland Lakes
No hospital or community health center in Highland Lakes 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 Highland Lakes; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Highland Lakes adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Highland Lakes adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Highland Lakes does better than Alabama.
1 in 4 Highland Lakes 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.2% of Highland Lakes adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Highland Lakes and the towns around it
Highland Lakes’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Lakes | A | 30.1% | 11.3% | 8.6% | CDC place |
| Hoover | A | 30.2% | 10.5% | 9.1% | CDC place |
| Chelsea | A | 31.5% | 9.6% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| Shoal Creek | A | 29% | 10.8% | 8.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Highland Lakes adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Highland Lakes
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Highland Lakes is better than Alabama on 22 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Highland Lakes’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Highland Lakes | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.8%11.1–16.7 | 22.8% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.6%8.9–12.5 | 14.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%10.5–14.4 | 17.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.1%24.7–35.9 | 39.4% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.3%9.6–13.1 | 14.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 42%37.9–46.1 | 43.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.8%39.5–48.1 | 40.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.1%26.6–33.5 | 30.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.1%7.9–10.2 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.7%9.5–11.9 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.1–6.9 | 7.3% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.2%4–6.5 | 8% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.5–3.3 | 4.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.3%8.3–12.6 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.6%6.3–11.4 | 15.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.4%13.9–21.3 | 28.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.5%12.9–18.6 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%28.4–39 | 39.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.5%3.3–6.2 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.1%79–85.1 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.2%68.9–75.6 | 56.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.4%89.6–92.9 | 85.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.3%75.9–82.2 | 78% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.6%67.1–75.9 | 67% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.4%74.1–85.9 | 77.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21%17.8–24.3 | 23.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.9%22.9–31.3 | 35.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.3%14.5–20.5 | 24.8% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.3%5.4–9.6 | 19.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.9%4.6–7.4 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.5–5.3 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.4%3.6–5.4 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.2%3–5.9 | 14% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25%21–29.4 | 36.5% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.2%9–13.6 | 17.1% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.9%8.1–11.9 | 16.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7%6–8 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.2%2.6–3.8 | 6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%4.5–6.8 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.1–3.2 | 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 Highland Lakes
Is Highland Lakes a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Highland Lakes is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #8 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 Highland Lakes?
CDC estimates 30.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.7% and 35.9%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Highland Lakes?
Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, 6.2 miles in a straight line from Highland Lakes’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Highland Lakes have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.3–6.2%), 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 Highland Lakes more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Highland Lakes.
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.