McCarty Subdivision Historic District · Photo: GamblinMonkey · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Dalton is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Dalton trails Georgia on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Dalton. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Dalton
1 in 4 working-age adults in Dalton has no health insurance
27.3% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 13.1% across Georgia. Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Dalton
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (25.8%), vs 17.7% across Georgia. Housing insecurity (20% vs 15%) and no reliable transportation (12.6% vs 9.5%) are higher too. 18.7% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.2% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Dalton adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (34%), 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 Dalton’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Dalton’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dalton is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns, #159 of 261 in Georgia. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 46% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Dalton’s median household income is $63,577; among the 9,659 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$79K), it’s healthier than 25%, 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 Dalton is healthier than 39% of graded towns, against 20% nationally.
Keeping up with care
Share of Dalton adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.7% of Dalton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
4.7 miles of trails across 16 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Dalton adults…
On every condition, Dalton is about the same as Georgia. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Dalton residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Dalton
No hospital or community health center in Dalton 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 Dalton; ≈ 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 Dalton adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
2 in 5 Dalton 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.
Dalton and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton | C− | 38.5% | 14.4% | 15.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Dalton adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Dalton
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Dalton is better than Georgia on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Dalton’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Dalton | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 26.4%23.7–29.4 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.3–17.8 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%16.2–20.1 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.5%31.7–45.7 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.4%12.7–16.2 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.3%30.7–38.1 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38%34.1–42.1 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.3%20.7–26 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.7 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.9–7.1 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.8–7.1 | 6.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.9%6.2–7.7 | 6.5% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3.3–3.8 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.3%14.5–20.3 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.2%13.4–17.3 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 34%29.7–38.6 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.7%12.1–17.5 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.8%32.9–45 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 27.3%24.3–30.3 | 13.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.6%71.9–79 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 50.6%47.2–54.1 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.7%80.7–84.7 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.5%72.8–78 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.5%54.7–64.1 | 64.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.8%65.2–79.6 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.6%16.8–22.7 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.7%32.5–43.2 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.6%21.9–29.4 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 25.8%22.8–29 | 17.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 20%17.7–22.6 | 15% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11.3%9.8–12.8 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.6%11.2–14.1 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.7%16.4–21.1 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.1%30.3–38.2 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%14.2–17.9 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.9%16.1–19.9 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7%6.3–7.8 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.9%7.3–8.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.4%9.4–11.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.1%4.6–5.5 | 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 Dalton
Is Dalton a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dalton is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #159 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 25%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Dalton?
CDC estimates 38.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.7% and 45.7%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Dalton?
Commonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North Georgia in Ringgold, 16.7 miles in a straight line from Dalton’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Dalton have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 27.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 24.3–30.3%), 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 Dalton 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 Dalton.
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.