Photo: Thomson M · CC BY 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Blue Ridge is healthier than 53%
Blue Ridge differs from Georgia on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 12 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Blue Ridge. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Blue Ridge
COPD, heart disease and cancer run high in Blue Ridge
1 in 9 adults have COPD (11%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.7%), vs 6.1% across Georgia. Cancer is also above the state: 11%, vs 7% across Georgia. In all, Blue Ridge runs above Georgia on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Georgia 15%), and COPD, heart disease and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Blue Ridge
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.4%), vs 13.6% across Georgia. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Blue Ridge, and more people treating it
43.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Georgia 37.4%), but 82% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Blue Ridge is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Blue Ridge is healthier than 16%. Against the 3,914 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$56K), it’s healthier than 53%. 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 Georgia figure falls outside Blue Ridge’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Blue Ridge’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blue Ridge is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 46% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 9%).
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). Blue Ridge’s median household income is $44,773; among the 3,914 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$56K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Where Blue Ridge compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Blue Ridge adults…
Blue Ridge runs above GA on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Blue Ridge is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Blue Ridge as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Blue Ridge adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
Care in and near Blue Ridge
1 community health center in Blue Ridge, 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 Blue Ridge; ≈ 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 Blue Ridge adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
1 in 3 Blue Ridge 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.
14.1% of Blue Ridge adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Blue Ridge and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | C− | 39.2% | 16.3% | 17.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Blue Ridge adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Blue Ridge
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Blue Ridge is better than Georgia on 3 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Blue Ridge’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Blue Ridge | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.7%20.4–29.3 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.5%14.7–20.4 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.3%14.9–19.7 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.2%31.4–47.7 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 16.3%13.9–18.8 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 43.2%38.8–47.7 | 37.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44%39.5–48.8 | 36.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.2%30.5–37.9 | 24.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.1–11.7 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11%9.9–12.2 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.7%8.3–11.1 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11%8.8–13.3 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.2–5.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 21.4%17.7–25.4 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.4%13.7–21.2 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.7%25.7–37.7 | 26.5% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.6%11.1–16.4 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.8%28.5–41.7 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13.2%10.2–16.7 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.5%75.9–82.8 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.7%52–59.5 | 59.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.9%84.7–88.8 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82%79.4–84.3 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.3%60.4–70.4 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.9%60.2–77.1 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%18.5–25.5 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.5%29–40 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.9%17.3–24.8 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.4%12.6–20.1 | 17.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.5%9.1–13.9 | 15% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.8%6.4–9.3 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.8%7.1–10.4 | 9.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.1%10.7–17.5 | 14.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.1%31.3–42.8 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20%16.3–23.5 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.2%13.4–19 | 14.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.3%8.9–11.8 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%5.7–8.1 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%9–13 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.4%4.4–6.4 | 4.2% | 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 Georgia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Blue Ridge
Is Blue Ridge a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blue Ridge is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Blue Ridge?
CDC estimates 39.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.4% and 47.7%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Blue Ridge?
Blue Ridge Medical Center in Blue Ridge, 4.5 miles in a straight line from Blue Ridge’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Blue Ridge have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.2–16.7%), against 13.1% across Georgia.
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 Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Georgia 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.