On CDC estimates, Lake City is healthier than 24% of U.S. towns
Lake City differs from Georgia on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lake City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lake City
Making ends meet is harder in Lake City
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (28.7%), vs 17.7% across Georgia. No reliable transportation (14.8% vs 9.5%) and housing insecurity (22% vs 15%) are higher too. 22.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.2% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Dental care lags in Lake City
49.9% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.2% across Georgia. Among those 65 and older, 20.7% have lost all their teeth (Georgia 14.5%). Checkups ↓
More Lake City adults lack emotional support
3 in 10 adults lack social or emotional support (30.7%), vs 24.6% across Georgia. Loneliness is above the state too: 44%, vs 37.3% across Georgia. Mind & connection ↓
Lake City is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Lake City is healthier than 24%. Against the 7,255 towns with similar household incomes ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 46%. 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 Lake City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Lake City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake City is healthier than 24% of U.S. towns, #148 of 261 in Georgia. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 55% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Lake City’s median household income is $54,464; among the 7,255 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 46%, about where its income would put it.
Few Georgia towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Lake City is healthier than 43% of graded towns, against 24% nationally.
Where Lake City compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.5% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 11.7% (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.
22.5% of Lake City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lake City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
How Lake City adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Lake City runs above Georgia.
4 in 10 Lake City 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 Lake City adults…
Lake City runs below GA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Lake City
No hospital or community health center in Lake City 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 Lake City; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
1.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Lake City and the towns around it
Lake City has the best Health Grade of the 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake City | C− | 37.5% | 14.9% | 14.3% | CDC place |
| Forest Park | D | 44.4% | 16.7% | 18.3% | CDC place |
| Morrow | D | 39.2% | 18% | 17.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lake City adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lake City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake City is better than Georgia on 2 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Lake City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lake City | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.9%22.1–27.9 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.4–16.8 | 13.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.7%16.6–20.9 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.5%32.6–42.8 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.9%13.3–16.7 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.1%33.9–40.5 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.6%32.4–38.9 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.6%20.3–25 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.6 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.5%5–6.1 | 7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.6–7 | 6.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.9%6.1–7.7 | 6.5% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.7%17.4–24.2 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.3%12.4–16.4 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 33.5%29.5–37.7 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.7%9.7–14 | 14.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.8%36.3–45.5 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 18.8%15.9–22 | 13.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.3%75.1–81.4 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 49.9%46.6–53.4 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.3%81.1–85.4 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.5%74–78.8 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.3%56.9–65.5 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76%69.6–81.6 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.2%14.8–19.8 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 44%39.4–48.6 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 30.7%27–34.7 | 24.6% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 28.7%24.8–32.6 | 17.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 22%19.1–24.9 | 15% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.7%12–15.5 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.8%12.9–16.8 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 22.5%19.3–25.8 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31.7–39.3 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.5%14.7–18.4 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.6%15.5–19.7 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.2 | 6.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8%7.2–8.8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.5%10.2–12.9 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.2%4.7–5.8 | 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 Lake City
Is Lake City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake City is healthier than 24% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #148 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 46%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lake City?
CDC estimates 37.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.6% and 42.8%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lake City?
Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, 3.6 miles in a straight line from Lake City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lake City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 18.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 15.9–22%), 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 Lake City 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 Lake City.
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.