Photo: Connor J. Williams · CC BY 3.0Fewer adults with frequent mental distress in The Villages than in almost every U.S. town
The Villages differs from Florida on 25 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for The Villages. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in The Villages
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in The Villages
1 in 4 adults have had cancer (22.6%), more than twice the Florida rate. 1 in 7 adults have heart disease (14%), about twice the Florida rate. Arthritis is also above the state: 48.4%, vs 26.6% across Florida. In all, The Villages runs above Florida on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 85% of residents are 65 or older (Florida 21%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in The Villages, and more people treating it
53.8% of adults have high blood pressure (Florida 36.6%), but 90.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 78.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
The Villages keeps up with checkups
It beats Florida on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (91.4% vs 78.4%) and dentist visits (70.3% vs 57.4%). Checkups ↓
The Villages has a top-rated hospital
The Villages Regional Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 The Villages’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A−.
What’s behind The Villages’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, The Villages is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns, #244 of 636 in Florida. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every U.S. town); diabetes pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). The Villages’ median household income is $77,622; among the 10,807 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$97K), it’s healthier than 75%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 The Villages adults…
The Villages runs below FL on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
The Villages is an older town: 85% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Florida. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in The Villages as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of The Villages adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Florida.
Care in and near The Villages
1 hospital and 1 community health center in The Villages, 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 The Villages; ≈ 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 Florida
Share of adults, with the Florida figure marked.
How The Villages adults are doing
On 3 of 3 measures, The Villages 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.
4.6% of The Villages adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15% across Florida.
The Villages 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Villages | B+ | 27% | 17.3% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| Wildwood | B | 30.9% | 14.9% | 10.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of The Villages adults live with a disability (Florida 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for The Villages
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, The Villages is better than Florida on 17 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Florida figure falls inside The Villages’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | The Villages | FL | U.S. | vs FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.5%16.4–20.8 | 20.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%14.1–17.4 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.9%7.9–10 | 15.8% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27%22.4–32 | 31.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.3%15.4–19.4 | 13.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 53.8%49.7–57.8 | 36.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 56.7%52.7–60.7 | 39% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 48.4%44.5–52.2 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 8.4%7.5–9.4 | 9.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 22.6%20.9–24.4 | 9.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 14%12.8–15.4 | 7.5% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.8%9.7–12.1 | 7.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6.1%5.6–6.6 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.6%8–11.4 | 12.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.7%6.6–9 | 12.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 24.3%21.1–27.9 | 26.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 6.5%5.3–7.8 | 14.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.2%22.3–30.6 | 37.3% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6%5.1–7 | 15.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 91.4%89.8–92.8 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.3%67.5–73.1 | 57.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 96.9%96.4–97.3 | 87% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 90.5%88.5–92.3 | 78.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 83.8%80.9–86.6 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.8%71.9–83.1 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 12.9%11.1–15 | 17.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.3%15.2–19.9 | 24.7% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.9%5.3–6.7 | 16.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 3.4%3–3.9 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 2.3%2–2.6 | 8.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.4%3.1–3.7 | 9.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.6%4.1–5.2 | 15% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.9%33.3–40.7 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.7%18.5–23.1 | 15.1% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.2%7.3–9.3 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 14.7%13.3–16.1 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.6–5.6 | 6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.1%6.3–7.9 | 8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.4–4.2 | 4.1% | 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 The Villages
Is The Villages a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, The Villages is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns: B+ for health, #244 of 636 in Florida. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 75%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in The Villages?
CDC estimates 27% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.4% and 32%, against 31.9% across Florida and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to The Villages?
The Villages Regional Hospital in The Villages, 4.1 miles in a straight line from The Villages’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in The Villages have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–7%), 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 The Villages 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 The Villages.
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.