Arthur Milam House · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Sawgrass is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Sawgrass differs from Florida on 21 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sawgrass. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sawgrass
Cancer and arthritis run high in Sawgrass
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (15.3%), vs 9.1% across Florida. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.5%), vs 26.6% across Florida. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (Florida 21%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Sawgrass keeps up with checkups
It beats Florida on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85% vs 78.4%) and dentist visits (69.4% vs 57.4%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Sawgrass’ lead shrinks
Sawgrass is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, but 70% of the 5,390 towns with similar household incomes ($92K–$153K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Sawgrass is an active town
Only 17.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.3% across Florida. 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 Florida figure falls outside Sawgrass’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Sawgrass’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sawgrass is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #68 of 636 in Florida. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 98% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 48%).
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). Sawgrass’ median household income is $122,500; among the 5,390 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($92K–$153K), it’s healthier than 70%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Sawgrass adults…
Sawgrass runs below FL on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Sawgrass is an older town: 39% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Florida. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Sawgrass as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sawgrass adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Florida.
Everyday habits, side by side with Florida
Share of adults, with the Florida figure marked.
7.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Sawgrass
No hospital or community health center in Sawgrass 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 Sawgrass; ≈ 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).
How Sawgrass adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Sawgrass does better than Florida.
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% of Sawgrass adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15% across Florida.
Sawgrass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sawgrass | A | 27.7% | 12.2% | 8.2% | CDC place |
| Palm Valley | A+ | 26.6% | 9.6% | 7.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sawgrass adults live with a disability (Florida 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sawgrass
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sawgrass is better than Florida on 17 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Florida figure falls inside Sawgrass’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sawgrass | FL | U.S. | vs FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.3%12–17 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.1–14.9 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12%10.5–13.8 | 15.8% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.7%22.9–33.2 | 31.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.2%10.5–14.3 | 13.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.9%37–44.9 | 36.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.1%40.2–48.3 | 39% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.5%31–38.2 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.2%8.2–10.4 | 9.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 15.3%13.9–16.8 | 9.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.5–9.8 | 7.5% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.1%5.8–8.6 | 7.2% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 3.8% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.9%5.7–8.2 | 12.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.2%6.5–10.2 | 12.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.8%14.5–21.7 | 26.3% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 12.8%10.7–15.2 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.8%23.5–32.4 | 37.3% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.4%5.1–8 | 15.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85%82.6–87.3 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.4%66.6–72.2 | 57.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.7%91.6–93.7 | 87% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.1%81.5–86.5 | 78.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 78.7%75.3–81.9 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.6%74.7–85.6 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 16.6%14.2–19.3 | 17.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 16.6%14.4–19.2 | 24.7% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.1%4.6–5.8 | 16.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 4.6%4–5.3 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.2%2.8–3.6 | 8.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.6%3.3–4 | 9.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4%3.5–4.6 | 15% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.5%22.7–30.8 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.9%11.6–16.4 | 15.1% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.2%7.9–10.8 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.7%7.7–10 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.9%3.3–4.6 | 6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.1–7.2 | 8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3%2.6–3.6 | 4.1% | 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 Florida figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Sawgrass
Is Sawgrass a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sawgrass is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #68 of 636 in Florida. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 70%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sawgrass?
CDC estimates 27.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.9% and 33.2%, against 31.9% across Florida and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sawgrass?
Baptist Medical Center Beaches in Jacksonville Beach, 6.1 miles in a straight line from Sawgrass’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sawgrass have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–8%), 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 Sawgrass 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 Sawgrass.
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.