Hebron Church, Cemetery, and Academy · Photo: Gwringle · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Commerce is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns
Commerce trails Georgia on 6 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Commerce. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Commerce
COPD and heart disease run high in Commerce
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.3%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.1%), vs 6.1% across Georgia. In all, Commerce runs above Georgia on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Commerce
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17%), vs 13.6% across Georgia. Habits ↓
Commerce has a community health center but no hospital
Medlink Georgia is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, 19 miles away. 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 Georgia figure falls outside Commerce’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Commerce’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Commerce is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns, #141 of 261 in Georgia. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 60% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 23%).
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). Commerce’s median household income is $60,961; among the 9,172 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($46K–$76K), it’s healthier than 42%, 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 Commerce is healthier than 46% of graded towns, against 28% nationally.
Out of every 100 Commerce adults…
Commerce runs above GA on 3 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.
Care in and near Commerce
1 community health center in Commerce, 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 Commerce; ≈ 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 Commerce adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
How Commerce adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
2 in 5 Commerce 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.
14.9% of Commerce adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Commerce and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce | C | 34.9% | 13.4% | 17% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Commerce adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Commerce
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Commerce is better than Georgia on 0 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Commerce’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Commerce | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.5%19.5–25.5 | 20.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.8–17.7 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.4%16.3–20.7 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.9%27.4–42.1 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.4%11.7–15.3 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.8%33.6–41.6 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.7%33.4–41.8 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.8%24.6–30.9 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.1%7.3–8.9 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.1%6.3–7.9 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.3%7.3–9.4 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.6–4.4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.1%11.5–17 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17%14.5–19.8 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.9%25.2–34.7 | 26.5% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%12.7–18.5 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.2%31.9–45 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.1%12.6–17.7 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.2%73.3–80.4 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.5%51.6–59.3 | 59.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.6%82.5–86.5 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.1%75.4–80.4 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.5%56.3–66.6 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.8%64.4–80.1 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.4%18.1–24.9 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.8%32.3–43.3 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.8%20.2–27.7 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.6%15.7–21.7 | 17.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.5%12.4–16.7 | 15% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.1%7.8–10.4 | 9.6% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.7%8.5–11.1 | 9.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.9%12.5–17.5 | 14.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.8%29.4–38.2 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%13.9–18.2 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.7%14.8–18.8 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.9–8.7 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.2%5.6–6.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.2%8.9–11.4 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%4.1–5.2 | 4.2% | 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 Georgia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Commerce
Is Commerce a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Commerce is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #141 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 42%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Commerce?
CDC estimates 34.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.4% and 42.1%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Commerce?
St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, 19.0 miles in a straight line from Commerce’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Commerce have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.6–17.7%), 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 Commerce 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 Commerce.
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.