Photo: Mmann1988 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Brookhaven is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Brookhaven differs from Georgia on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 23 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brookhaven. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brookhaven
Binge drinking is the habit Brookhaven doesn’t win on
18.8% of adults binge drink, vs 14.5% across Georgia, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Brookhaven
Brookhaven runs below Georgia on eight chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.3% vs 6.5%), stroke (1.9% vs 3.6%) and heart disease (3.5% vs 6.1%). A young population is part of it: only 11% of residents are 65 or older (Georgia 15%). Conditions ↓
Brookhaven is an active town
Only 16.4% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.5% across Georgia. The town has 11 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves. 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 Georgia figure falls outside Brookhaven’s likely range.
What’s behind Brookhaven’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brookhaven is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, #11 of 261 in Georgia. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 98% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 85%.
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). Brookhaven’s median household income is $117,663; among the 6,076 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($88K–$147K), it’s healthier than 97%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
11 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Brookhaven adults…
Brookhaven runs below GA on 11 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Brookhaven residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Brookhaven
No hospital or community health center in Brookhaven 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 Brookhaven; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Brookhaven adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
How Brookhaven adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Brookhaven does better than Georgia.
1 in 3 Brookhaven 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.
8.1% of Brookhaven adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Brookhaven and the towns around it
Brookhaven’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 6 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookhaven | A+ | 25.5% | 7.9% | 8.3% | CDC place |
| Chamblee | B | 30.5% | 11.2% | 13.9% | CDC place |
| North Druid Hills | A+ | 23.8% | 7.5% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| Atlanta | A− | 29.3% | 10.6% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| Dunwoody | A+ | 23.6% | 8.4% | 7.6% | CDC place |
| Sandy Springs | A+ | 23.7% | 7.9% | 7.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brookhaven adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brookhaven
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brookhaven is better than Georgia on 23 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Brookhaven’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brookhaven | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13%11.5–14.4 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.4%8.4–10.5 | 13.5% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.9–16 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.5%22–29.1 | 35.2% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 7.9%6.9–8.9 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 26.2%23.7–28.7 | 37.4% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.2%29.3–35 | 36.8% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 15.5%13.8–17.2 | 24.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9%7.9–10 | 10.1% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.8%5.2–6.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.5%3.1–3.9 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.3%3–3.7 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.9%1.8–2.1 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.4%5.3–7.7 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.3%7.2–9.5 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.4%14.2–18.6 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.8%16.1–21.7 | 14.5% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.5%26.7–34.8 | 38.4% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.2%10.7–13.7 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.6%71.3–77.6 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.2%64.3–70 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.6–88.8 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.2%67.1–73.1 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.7%63.6–71.7 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.7%73.8–84.8 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.4%16.1–20.9 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.8%32–39.6 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20%17.6–22.8 | 24.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.4%10–13 | 17.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.6%9.2–12.1 | 15% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.3%5.5–7.3 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%6–7.6 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.1%7–9.3 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 18.9%16.5–21.1 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.2%6.3–8.1 | 14% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.2%10–12.5 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.7%3.4–4 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.2–2.6 | 4.2% | 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 Georgia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Brookhaven
Is Brookhaven a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brookhaven is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #11 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 97%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brookhaven?
CDC estimates 25.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 22% and 29.1%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brookhaven?
Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta in Atlanta, 3.4 miles in a straight line from Brookhaven’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brookhaven have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.7–13.7%), 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 Brookhaven more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brookhaven.
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.