Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site · Photo: Rivers A. Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Tuskegee is healthier than 66%
Tuskegee differs from Alabama on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Tuskegee. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Tuskegee
Making ends meet is harder in Tuskegee
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (35.8%), about twice the Alabama rate. No reliable transportation (19.2% vs 9.8%) and utility shut-off threats (18.4% vs 9.6%) are higher too. 29.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Tuskegee adults lack emotional support
1 in 3 adults lack social or emotional support (32.6%), vs 24.8% across Alabama. Loneliness is above the state too: 43.4%, vs 35.4% across Alabama. Mind & connection ↓
Dental care lags in Tuskegee
47.9% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 56.9% across Alabama. Among those 65 and older, 25% have lost all their teeth (Alabama 15.4%). Checkups ↓
Tuskegee is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Tuskegee is healthier than 14%. Against the 1,880 towns with similar household incomes ($29K–$48K), it’s healthier than 66%. 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 Tuskegee’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Tuskegee’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tuskegee is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns, #132 of 187 in Alabama. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 56% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 2%).
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). Tuskegee’s median household income is $38,000; among the 1,880 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($29K–$48K), it’s healthier than 66%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few Alabama towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Tuskegee is healthier than 30% of graded towns, against 14% nationally.
Where Tuskegee compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.5% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 10.2% (U.S. 15.4%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
29.3% of Tuskegee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
How Tuskegee adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Tuskegee runs above Alabama.
4 in 10 Tuskegee 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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Tuskegee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
Out of every 100 Tuskegee adults…
Tuskegee runs below AL on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Tuskegee
1 community health center in Tuskegee, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Tuskegee; ≈ 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.
2.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Tuskegee and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuskegee | D | 46.9% | 17.9% | 14.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Tuskegee adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Tuskegee
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Tuskegee is better than Alabama on 5 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Tuskegee’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Tuskegee | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 28.5%25–31.8 | 22.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.4–15.9 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.8%18.3–23.2 | 17.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 46.9%37.8–55.7 | 39.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.9%15.8–19.9 | 14.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 46.7%42.3–50.9 | 43.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.8%30.7–39 | 40.7% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 26.8%23.7–29.8 | 30.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 12.5%10.9–14.1 | 10% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.5%4–5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.6%5.9–7.2 | 7.3% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 7.4%6.5–8.2 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 5%4.6–5.5 | 4.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 25%21.2–29.3 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.2%12–16.2 | 15.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 34.1%28.7–39.3 | 28.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 10.2%8.1–12.6 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 45.1%37.8–52.9 | 39.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.6%8.9–12.4 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.6%80.1–86.5 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 47.9%43.8–52 | 56.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.6%80.2–84.7 | 85.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.1%74.1–77.9 | 78% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.1%62–71.9 | 67% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79%71.8–85.1 | 77.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.3%17.7–25 | 23.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 43.4%37.6–49.4 | 35.4% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 32.6%28.2–37.4 | 24.8% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 35.8%31.7–39.9 | 19.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 25.1%21.9–28.5 | 13.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 18.4%16.2–20.8 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 19.2%17–21.4 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 29.3%25.6–33 | 14% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.9%36.7–46.8 | 36.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.6%17.2–21.8 | 17.1% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 20.2%17.7–22.4 | 16.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.8–6.2 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 9.1%8.2–9.9 | 6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 13.8%12.2–15.3 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.4%5.8–7 | 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 Tuskegee
Is Tuskegee a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tuskegee is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: D for health, #132 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 Tuskegee?
CDC estimates 46.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 37.8% and 55.7%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Tuskegee?
Community Hospital in Tallassee, 15.5 miles in a straight line from Tuskegee’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Tuskegee have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.9–12.4%), 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 Tuskegee 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 Tuskegee.
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.