On CDC estimates, Chattanooga Valley is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns
Chattanooga Valley trails Georgia on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Chattanooga Valley. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Chattanooga Valley
COPD, heart disease and cancer run high in Chattanooga Valley
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.1%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.3%), vs 6.1% across Georgia. Cancer is also above the state: 9.5%, vs 7% across Georgia. In all, Chattanooga Valley runs above Georgia on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Chattanooga Valley
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (18.4%), vs 13.6% across Georgia. Habits ↓
Chattanooga Valley is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Chattanooga Valley is healthier than 14%. Against the 6,730 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 29%. 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 Chattanooga Valley’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
What’s behind Chattanooga Valley’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chattanooga Valley is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns, #177 of 261 in Georgia. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 26% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Chattanooga Valley’s median household income is $52,813; among the 6,730 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 29%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Few Georgia towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Chattanooga Valley is healthier than 32% of graded towns, against 14% nationally.
Out of every 100 Chattanooga Valley adults…
Chattanooga Valley runs above GA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Care in and near Chattanooga Valley
No hospital or community health center in Chattanooga Valley 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 Chattanooga Valley; ≈ 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 Chattanooga Valley adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
How Chattanooga Valley adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Chattanooga Valley runs above Georgia.
1 in 3 Chattanooga Valley 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.
14.6% of Chattanooga Valley adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Chattanooga Valley and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Valley | D | 39.3% | 14.5% | 18.4% | CDC place |
| Fairview | D | 39.1% | 14.5% | 18.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Chattanooga Valley adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Chattanooga Valley
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Chattanooga Valley is better than Georgia on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Chattanooga Valley’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Chattanooga Valley | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.8%20.4–27.5 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.2%15–19.5 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.8%16.5–21.2 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.3%31.7–47.2 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.5%12.5–16.6 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.9%36.5–45.1 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41%36.6–45.5 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.2%28.7–35.7 | 24.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12.1 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.5%8.6–10.6 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3%7.3–9.3 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.1%8.7–11.7 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.9–4.9 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.8%16.4–23.7 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.4%15.3–21.7 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.6%26.4–37.2 | 26.5% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.6%12–17.7 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.4%33.3–46.3 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13%10.4–15.9 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.1%74.3–81.5 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55%51.2–58.9 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.7%83.6–87.7 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.4%76.5–82 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.4%56.3–66.6 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.2%63–78.9 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.7%19.2–26.3 | 19% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34.9%29.7–40.5 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.5%17.9–25.1 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.8%13.6–20.2 | 17.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.7%10.4–15 | 15% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.4%7.1–9.8 | 9.6% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.1%7.7–10.6 | 9.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.6%11.7–17.7 | 14.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%30.7–40.4 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.9%15.3–20.6 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%14.6–19.4 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%7.9–10.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.4%5.6–7.3 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.9%9.4–12.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.2%4.5–5.9 | 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 Chattanooga Valley
Is Chattanooga Valley a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chattanooga Valley is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: ≈ D for health, #177 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 29%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Chattanooga Valley?
CDC estimates 39.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.7% and 47.2%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Chattanooga Valley?
Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga, 8.7 miles in a straight line from Chattanooga Valley’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Chattanooga Valley have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.4–15.9%), 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 Chattanooga Valley 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 Chattanooga Valley.
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.