Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Comer is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns
Comer trails Georgia on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Comer. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Comer
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Comer
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.1%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.5%), vs 6.1% across Georgia. Stroke is also above the state: 4.9%, vs 3.6% across Georgia. In all, Comer runs above Georgia on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in Comer
50% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.2% across Georgia. Among those 65 and older, 23.6% have lost all their teeth (Georgia 14.5%). Checkups ↓
More Comer adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (34.6%), vs 26.5% across Georgia. 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 Comer’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Comer’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Comer is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 44% of U.S. towns); no exercise 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). Comer’s median household income is $52,891; among the 6,750 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 26%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Comer adults…
Comer runs above GA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Comer adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
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 Comer
No hospital or community health center in Comer 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 Comer; ≈ 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 Comer adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
2 in 5 Comer 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.
19.8% of Comer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Comer and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comer | D | 37% | 15.7% | 18.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Comer adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Comer
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Comer is better than Georgia on 0 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Comer’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Comer | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 26.6%22.7–30.5 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.1%14.8–19.4 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.1%16.6–21.6 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37%29.2–45.6 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.7%13.7–17.9 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.7%36.5–44.9 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.6%35.1–44.1 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.3%26–32.6 | 24.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.5–9.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.4–9.6 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.1%8.4–11.8 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.9%4.3–5.5 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 23.6%21.5–25.8 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.3%14.9–21.7 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 34.6%28.9–39.9 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%10.7–16 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39%36.3–41.8 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.5%12.1–19.3 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78%74.2–81.5 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 50%47.9–52 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.7%81.1–86.1 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.4%76.8–81.7 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 57.1%54.7–59.4 | 64.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.7%64.8–72.4 | 75.8% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%18.4–25.3 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 39.9%34.1–45.8 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.1%21.3–29.3 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 22.6%18.7–27.1 | 17.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 15.7%13.2–18.8 | 15% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.4%8.8–12.2 | 9.6% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.5%9.7–13.4 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.8%16.3–23.9 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.5%32.4–42.5 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.2%16.4–22 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18%15.4–20.8 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.8–10.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.8%6.8–8.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.2%10.4–14.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.8%5–6.7 | 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 Comer
Is Comer a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Comer is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 26%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Comer?
CDC estimates 37% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.2% and 45.6%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Comer?
St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, 17.8 miles in a straight line from Comer’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Comer have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.1–19.3%), 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 Comer more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Comer.
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.