Corbett Farm · Photo: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Echols County is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns
Echols County trails Georgia on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Echols County. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Echols County
Echols County is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Echols County’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Echols County looks healthier next to Georgia than next to the country
It’s healthier than 42% of the 261 Georgia towns we grade, but 22% of towns nationwide. Much of Georgia scores low on these measures. Health Grade ↓
The nearest ER is 24 miles from Echols County
The closest emergency room is Clinch Memorial Hospital in Homerville, 24.2 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Migrant Farmworkers Clinic is closer (13.6 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
1 in 5 working-age adults in Echols County has no health insurance
18.8% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 13.1% across Georgia. Checkups ↓
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 Echols County’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Echols County’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Echols County is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns, #152 of 261 in Georgia. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 35% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Echols County’s median household income is $59,489; among the 8,775 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($45K–$74K), it’s healthier than 34%, 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 Echols County is healthier than 42% of graded towns, against 22% nationally.
Care in and near Echols County
1 community health center in Echols County, 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 Echols County; ≈ 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 Echols County adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
Out of every 100 Echols County adults…
Echols County runs above GA on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Echols County residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
How Echols County adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
4 in 10 Echols County 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.
14.5% of Echols County adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Echols County and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echols County | C− | 38.1% | 13.6% | 16.8% | CDC place |
| Fargo | — | — | — | — |
Fargo: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Echols County adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Echols County
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Echols County is better than Georgia on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Echols County’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Echols County | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.7%21–27 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%14.1–18.1 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.2–20.5 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.1%29.7–47.1 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.6%11.9–15.7 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.3%32.1–40.8 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38%33.7–42.9 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.2%23.1–29.7 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.7–11.1 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.5%6.7–8.3 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.2–7.8 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8%7.1–9 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.4–4.1 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.4%15.2–22 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.8%14.6–19.4 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.8%26.2–36.1 | 26.5% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.5%12.7–18.8 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.7%29.6–44.2 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 18.8%16–21.4 | 13.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.2%71.1–78.9 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56.7%52.8–60.6 | 59.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.4%82.4–86.4 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.7%73.7–79.6 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.6%54.1–64.9 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.7%62.8–79.5 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.1%18–24.8 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.6%31.3–42.2 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.3%20.7–28.1 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19.2%16.5–22.1 | 17.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 15.2%13.1–17.5 | 15% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9%7.8–10.3 | 9.6% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.8%8.6–11.1 | 9.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.5%12.3–16.6 | 14.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.9%29.6–38.7 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.7%13.8–18.1 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%15–19 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.8–8.7 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.5%5.9–7.1 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.8%8.7–11 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 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 Echols County
Is Echols County a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Echols County is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #152 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 34%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Echols County?
CDC estimates 38.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.7% and 47.1%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Echols County?
Clinch Memorial Hospital in Homerville, 24.2 miles in a straight line from Echols County’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Echols County have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 18.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 16–21.4%), 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 Echols County 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 Echols County.
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.