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≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Balm · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Balm is healthier than 26%

Balm differs from Florida on 13 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 6 worse.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Balm

Making ends meet is harder in Balm

1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (21.6%), vs 16.8% across Florida. Housing insecurity (19.1% vs 13.9%) and utility shut-off threats (11.8% vs 8.6%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓

Against towns with similar incomes, Balm’s lead shrinks

Balm is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns, but 26% of the 6,499 towns with similar household incomes ($86K–$143K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓

Cancer and heart disease are less common in Balm

Balm runs below Florida on five chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.8% vs 9.1%), heart disease (5.2% vs 7.5%) and arthritis (20.2% vs 26.6%). A young population is part of it: only 4% of residents are 65 or older (Florida 21%). Conditions ↓

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 Florida figure falls outside Balm’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Balm’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Balm is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns, #287 of 636 in Florida. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 71% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 45%).

B−Self-rated health20.1% · FL 20.3% · U.S. 19.4%
B+Physical distress13.1% · FL 14.3% · U.S. 13%
B−Mental distress17.3% · FL 15.8% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33% · FL 31.9% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes12% · FL 13.5% · U.S. 12%
B+Smoking13% smoke · FL 12.4% · U.S. 11.8%
BExercise24.5% · FL 26.3% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 60%
Less healthyHealthier
Florida towns we grade (636)Healthier than 55%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $86K–$143K (6,499)Healthier than 26%

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). Balm’s median household income is $114,659; among the 6,499 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($86K–$143K), it’s healthier than 26%, less than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Balm could be anywhere from C to A−. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · 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 5
Balm adults worry about having enough food
21.6% · FL 16.8%
Worse than FL
1 in 5
Balm adults worry about keeping their housing
19.1% · FL 13.9%
Worse than FL
1 in 8
Balm adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
11.8% · FL 8.6%
Worse than FL
1 in 9
Balm adults lack reliable transportation
11.7% · FL 9.1%
Worse than FL

19% of Balm adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15% across Florida.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Balm adults…

Balm runs below FL on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

6 of every 100 Balm adults have had cancer
Florida: 9 in 100 · better · likely 5.2–6.4%
Better than FLWorseAbout the sameFlorida
Why age matters in Balm

Only 4% of Balm residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Florida. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.

Residents 65 and older

Balm4%
Florida21%
Getting care

Care in and near Balm

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

HNearest ERHCA Florida South Shore HospitalSun City Center · 5.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyHCA Florida South Tampa Hospital★★★★★ · 17.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSuncoast Community Health CentersWimauma · 3.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.7 mi
Suncoast Community Health Centers
5 sites · nearest in Wimauma
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
5.4 mi
HCA Florida South Shore Hospital
Sun City Center · ★★★★★
ER
7.8 mi
Adventhealth Riverview
Riverview · not rated
ER
12.5 mi
HCA Florida Brandon Hospital
Brandon · ★★★★★
ER
12.5 mi
Metropolitan Charities
2 sites · nearest in Brandon
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15.1 mi
Tampa General Hospital
Tampa · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careBalm is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careBalm is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Balm 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 Balm; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Florida

Share of adults, with the Florida figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.5%FL 26.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 41.3%FL 37.3%
Binge drink 16.4%FL 14.6%
Smoke cigarettes 13%FL 12.4%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Balm, betterBalm, worseAbout the sameFlorida
Where Balm gets moving

1 mile of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

76%Yearly checkupFL 78%
55%Dentist visitFL 57%
85%Cholesterol checkFL 87%
62%Colon screeningFL 66%
79%MammogramFL 76%
73%Taking BP medsFL 78%
1 in 5
working-age adults has no health insurance
Balm 18.2% · Florida 1 in 6 (15.9%)
Mind & connection

How Balm adults are doing

On 1 of 3 measures, Balm runs above Florida.

3 in 10Balm adults lack social or emotional support
28.4% · FL 24.7% · Worse than FL
1 in 6Balm adults have been diagnosed with depression
16.4% · FL 17.1% · About the same as FL
1 in 6Balm adults are in frequent mental distress
17.3% · FL 15.8% · About the same as FL
The one neighbors can help with

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.

Around town

Balm and the towns around it

Balm’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 graded towns around it.

Riverview: 31.4%Wimauma: 34.3%Sun City Center: 26.7%Bloomingdale: 29.2%Fish Hawk: 28.6%Gibsonton: 34.6%Apollo Beach: 28.8%Progress Village: 31.4%Brandon: 31.2%Palm River-Clair Mel: 35.2%Ruskin: 33.6%Balm: 33%BalmRiverviewWimaumaSun City CenterHCA Florida South Shore Hospital · Sun City Center · 5.4 mi · 2★ MedicareHAdventhealth Riverview · Riverview · 7.8 miHHCA Florida Brandon Hospital · Brandon · 12.5 mi · 3★ MedicareHTampa General Hospital · Tampa · 15.1 mi · 3★ MedicareHWimauma Community Health Center · Wimauma · 3.7 mi+Metro Brandon · Brandon · 12.5 mi+
Healthier than FLNear FLLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#8 of 12 towns on this map, healthiest first
Sun City Center26.7%
Riverview31.4%
Balm33%
Wimauma34.3%
FL31.9%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
BalmB33%12%13%CDC place
WimaumaC+34.3%12.8%14.1%CDC place
RiverviewA−31.4%11%11.8%CDC place
Sun City CenterB26.7%18%9.5%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

29.4%

of Balm adults live with a disability (Florida 31.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.6%
Thinking or memory14.6%
Hearing5.2%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision5.8%
Dressing or bathing3.8%
Florida

Every CDC estimate for Balm

Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Balm is better than Florida on 7 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Florida figure falls inside Balm’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…BalmFLU.S.vs FL
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.1%17.4–23.120.3%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.1%11.6–14.914.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.3%15.4–19.515.8%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33%28.2–3831.9%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12%10.5–13.513.5%12%About the same
High blood pressure33.2%30–36.536.6%34.4%Better
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.3%33.8–40.739%37.1%About the same
Arthritis20.2%18–22.526.6%25.3%Better
Asthma9.9%8.8–11.19.4%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer5.8%5.2–6.49.1%7.9%Better
Coronary heart disease5.2%4.6–5.87.5%6.4%Better
COPD5.6%4.9–6.57.2%6.3%Better
Stroke3%2.7–3.33.8%3.4%Better
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10%8.2–12.112.7%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13%10.9–15.412.4%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work24.5%20.9–28.626.3%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16.4%13.9–19.314.6%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours41.3%36.6–45.937.3%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)18.2%15–21.515.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year75.8%72.3–78.978.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year54.6%51.2–57.857.4%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.9%82.8–8787%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)72.6%69.4–75.478.4%76.5%Worse
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)62.4%57.9–66.665.7%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)79.2%73–84.276.1%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression16.4%14.1–18.817.1%20.6%About the same
Lack social and emotional support28.4%25–3224.7%23.6%Worse
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food21.6%19.6–23.716.8%15%Worse
Worried about keeping housing19.1%17.1–21.313.9%12%Worse
Threatened with a utility shut-off11.8%10.5–13.28.6%7.6%Worse
Lack reliable transportation11.7%10.6–12.89.1%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)19%17.2–2115%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability29.4%25.8–33.331.3%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs12.6%10.9–14.515.1%13.6%Lower
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.6%12.6–16.713.7%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty5.2%4.6–5.87.6%6.7%Lower
Vision difficulty5.8%5.1–6.66%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.9%6.9–9.18%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.8%3.4–4.44.1%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 Florida figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Balm

Is Balm a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Balm is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #287 of 636 in Florida. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Balm?

CDC estimates 33% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.2% and 38%, against 31.9% across Florida and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Balm?

HCA Florida South Shore Hospital in Sun City Center, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Balm’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

How many people in Balm have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 18.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 15–21.5%), against 15.9% across Florida.

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 Balm more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.

Neighbors talk health

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

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Florida 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.