Photo: Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Fort Valley is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns
Fort Valley differs from Georgia on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 19 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fort Valley. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fort Valley
Making ends meet is harder in Fort Valley
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (33.4%), about twice the Georgia rate. No reliable transportation (18.1% vs 9.5%) and utility shut-off threats (18.1% vs 9.6%) are higher too. 29.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.2% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Dental care lags in Fort Valley
48.1% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.2% across Georgia. Among those 65 and older, 18.6% have lost all their teeth (Georgia 14.5%). Checkups ↓
Mental distress runs high in Fort Valley
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (21.2%), vs 16.9% across Georgia. Lack of emotional support is above the state too: 30.7%, vs 24.6% across Georgia. Mind & connection ↓
Fort Valley is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Fort Valley is healthier than 11%. Against the 5,884 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 26%. 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 Fort Valley’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Fort Valley’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Valley is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns, #193 of 261 in Georgia. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 38% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 4%).
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). Fort Valley’s median household income is $50,283; among the 5,884 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 26%, 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 Fort Valley is healthier than 26% of graded towns, against 11% nationally.
Where Fort Valley compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.8% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 11.8% (U.S. 15.4%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
29.9% of Fort Valley adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Keeping up with care
Share of Fort Valley adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
How Fort Valley adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Fort Valley runs above Georgia.
4 in 10 Fort 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.
Out of every 100 Fort Valley adults…
Fort Valley runs below GA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Fort Valley
1 community health center in Fort Valley, 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 Fort 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
2.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Fort Valley and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Valley | D | 43.8% | 16.2% | 16% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fort Valley adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fort Valley
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fort Valley is better than Georgia on 2 and worse on 19; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Fort Valley’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fort Valley | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.4%23.9–31.2 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.4–17.2 | 13.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.2%18.7–23.9 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.8%35.9–52.1 | 35.2% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 16.2%14.4–18.2 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.3%37.3–45.4 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%30.2–38.2 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.9%21.3–26.8 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.8–13.7 | 10.1% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.8%4.3–5.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.2%5.6–6.8 | 6.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.4%6.6–8.3 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.2–4.9 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.6%15.3–22.1 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16%13.7–18.5 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 34.3%29.1–39.9 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.8%9.7–14.4 | 14.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 45.2%38–52.5 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.7%13.8–20.4 | 13.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.3%76.9–83.5 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 48.1%44–52 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.5%79.8–85.2 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.9%72.5–77.1 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.1%59.8–70.1 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.5%71.2–84.5 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.3%16.3–22.7 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 42.8%36.9–48.4 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 30.7%26.2–35.1 | 24.6% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 33.4%28.5–38.5 | 17.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 26.6%22.9–30.3 | 15% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 18.1%15.7–20.5 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 18.1%15.5–20.9 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 29.9%25.4–34.6 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.3%32.5–42.5 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.4%15.5–19.5 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.5%16.9–22.3 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.4%4.8–6 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 13.2%11.4–15 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.2%5.6–6.8 | 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 Fort Valley
Is Fort Valley a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Valley is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns: D for health, #193 of 261 in Georgia. 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 Fort Valley?
CDC estimates 43.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.9% and 52.1%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fort Valley?
Atrium Health Navicent Peach in Byron, 9.6 miles in a straight line from Fort Valley’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fort Valley have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.8–20.4%), 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 Fort Valley 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 Fort 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.