Photo: Chris Pruitt · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Piedmont is healthier than 64%
Piedmont trails Alabama on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Piedmont. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Piedmont
COPD, heart disease and cancer run high in Piedmont
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.2%), vs 8% across Alabama. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 7.3% across Alabama. Cancer is also above the state: 9.6%, vs 8.2% across Alabama. In all, Piedmont runs above Alabama on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Piedmont is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Piedmont is healthier than 16%. Against the 2,531 towns with similar household incomes ($30K–$51K), it’s healthier than 64%. 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 Piedmont’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
What’s behind Piedmont’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Piedmont is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns, #127 of 187 in Alabama. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 36% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 12%).
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). Piedmont’s median household income is $40,506; among the 2,531 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($30K–$51K), it’s healthier than 64%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few Alabama towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Piedmont is healthier than 32% of graded towns, against 16% nationally.
Out of every 100 Piedmont adults…
Piedmont runs above AL on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Piedmont
No hospital or community health center in Piedmont 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 Piedmont; ≈ 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.
0.8 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Piedmont adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Piedmont adults are doing
About the same as Alabama on each measure.
1 in 3 Piedmont 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.
13.8% of Piedmont adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Piedmont and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont | C− | 38% | 15.5% | 17.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Piedmont adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Piedmont
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Piedmont is better than Alabama on 0 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Piedmont’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Piedmont | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 26.1%22.9–29.7 | 22.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.6–18.7 | 14.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.2–20.5 | 17.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38%31.2–45 | 39.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.5%13.5–17.7 | 14.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 46.6%42.5–50.9 | 43.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.9%38.5–47.3 | 40.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 35.1%31.6–38.8 | 30.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.3–12 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.6–10.6 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 7.3% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.6%4.2–5.2 | 4.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.3%11.4–17.5 | 15.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.3%14.9–20.1 | 15.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 33.1%28.4–38.2 | 28.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14%11.5–16.9 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 41.7%35.5–48.1 | 39.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.1%8.3–12.3 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.2–83 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.9%49.9–58 | 56.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.7%83.6–87.5 | 85.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.2%76.4–81.7 | 78% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.3%61.1–70.9 | 67% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.1%66.2–80.8 | 77.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.4%21.8–29.5 | 23.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.8%30.6–41 | 35.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.1%20.4–27.9 | 24.8% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.7%15.8–21.9 | 19.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.4%10.5–14.5 | 13.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.5%7.3–9.9 | 9.6% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.3%8.1–10.7 | 9.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.8%11.5–16.3 | 14% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 40.8%36.3–45.7 | 36.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.1%17.6–22.9 | 17.1% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.6%15.5–19.9 | 16.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.1%9–11.4 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.2 | 6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.1%9.8–12.5 | 9.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5%4.4–5.6 | 4.6% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Piedmont
Is Piedmont a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Piedmont is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #127 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 Piedmont?
CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.2% and 45%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Piedmont?
Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, 16.4 miles in a straight line from Piedmont’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Piedmont have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.3–12.3%), 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 Piedmont more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Piedmont.
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.