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≈ CHealth Grade
Health in Nicholson · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Nicholson is healthier than 63%

Nicholson trails Georgia on 3 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Nicholson. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Nicholson

Smoking is more common in Nicholson

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.4%), vs 13.6% across Georgia. Habits ↓

COPD runs high in Nicholson

1 in 13 adults have COPD (8%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. Conditions ↓

Nicholson is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Nicholson is healthier than 31%. Against the 6,512 towns with similar household incomes ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 63%. 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 Nicholson’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Nicholson’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nicholson is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 62% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 24%).

CSelf-rated health21.8% · GA 20.3% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.7% · GA 13.5% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress18.6% · GA 16.9% · U.S. 15.9%
BObesity34.6% · GA 35.2% · U.S. 32.9%
C+Diabetes12.5% · GA 13.3% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking17.4% smoke · GA 13.6% · U.S. 11.8%
CExercise28.6% · GA 26.5% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 31%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $39K–$65K (6,512)Healthier than 63%

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). Nicholson’s median household income is $52,147; among the 6,512 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 63%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Nicholson could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia

Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.

Get no exercise 28.6%GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.8%GA 38.4%
Binge drink 16.5%GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettes 17.4%GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Nicholson, betterNicholson, worseAbout the sameGeorgia
Where Nicholson gets moving

0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Nicholson adults…

Nicholson runs above GA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Nicholson adults have COPD
Georgia: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 6.7–9.4%
Better than GAWorseAbout the sameGeorgia
Why age matters in Nicholson

Only 10% of Nicholson residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.

Residents 65 and older

Nicholson10%
Georgia15%
Getting care

Care in and near Nicholson

No hospital or community health center in Nicholson itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSt. Mary's HospitalAthens · 11.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyNGMC Barrow★★★★★ · 17.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMedlink GeorgiaCommerce · 7.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
7.3 mi
Medlink Georgia
6 sites · nearest in Commerce
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.8 mi
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center
Athens · ★★★★★
11 mi
Athens Model Neighborhood Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Athens
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11.9 mi
St. Mary's Hospital
Athens · ★★★★★
ER
17.8 mi
NGMC Barrow
Winder · ★★★★★
ER
25.9 mi
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Gainesville · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNicholson is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNicholson is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Nicholson itself

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 Nicholson; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Nicholson adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.

76%Yearly checkupGA 78%
59%Dentist visitGA 59%
85%Cholesterol checkGA 87%
64%Colon screeningGA 64%
71%MammogramGA 76%
77%Taking BP medsGA 77%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Nicholson 14.9% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Nicholson adults are doing

About the same as Georgia on each measure.

4 in 10Nicholson adults feel lonely
37.4% · GA 37.3% · About the same as GA
1 in 4Nicholson adults lack social or emotional support
23.6% · GA 24.6% · About the same as GA
1 in 5Nicholson adults have been diagnosed with depression
22% · GA 19% · About the same as GA
1 in 5Nicholson adults are in frequent mental distress
18.6% · GA 16.9% · About the same as GA
The one neighbors can help with

4 in 10 Nicholson adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 6
Nicholson adults worry about having enough food
17.3% · GA 17.7%
About the same as GA
1 in 7
Nicholson adults worry about keeping their housing
14% · GA 15%
About the same as GA
1 in 12
Nicholson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.5% · GA 9.6%
About the same as GA
1 in 11
Nicholson adults lack reliable transportation
9.2% · GA 9.5%
About the same as GA

13.3% of Nicholson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Around town

Nicholson and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
NicholsonC34.6%12.5%17.4%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

32.5%

of Nicholson adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.8%
Thinking or memory16.7%
Hearing7.2%
Errands alone9.7%
Vision5.7%
Dressing or bathing4.4%
Georgia

Every CDC estimate for Nicholson

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Nicholson is better than Georgia on 0 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Nicholson’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…NicholsonGAU.S.vs GA
Overall health
Fair or poor health21.8%18.4–25.520.3%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.7%13.6–17.913.5%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18.6%16.4–2116.9%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity34.6%27–41.735.2%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.5%10.7–14.313.3%12%About the same
High blood pressure35.9%31.6–39.837.4%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.5%32.9–41.536.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis26.8%23.5–29.924.6%25.3%About the same
Asthma10.4%9.1–11.710.1%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer7.8%7–8.77%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease6.6%5.7–7.46.1%6.4%About the same
COPD8%6.7–9.46.5%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.6%3.2–4.13.6%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)14.7%11.9–17.714.5%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17.4%14.5–20.913.6%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work28.6%23.7–33.526.5%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16.5%13.4–19.614.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.8%31.6–44.538.4%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)14.9%12.1–17.913.1%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year76.3%72.4–79.878.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year58.8%55–62.459.2%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.8%82.5–8786.8%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)76.7%73.5–79.477.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)64.2%58.7–69.364.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)70.7%62.1–78.475.8%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression22%18.5–25.419%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely37.4%31.8–43.137.3%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support23.6%19.6–27.624.6%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food17.3%13.9–2117.7%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing14%11.5–16.615%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off8.5%7.1–109.6%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation9.2%7.7–10.79.5%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)13.3%10.6–16.314.2%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability32.5%27.8–37.429.6%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs14.8%12.5–17.314%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16.7%14.5–19.314.4%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty7.2%6.3–8.26.2%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.7%5–6.65.6%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone9.7%8.3–11.28.7%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.4%3.8–5.14.2%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 Nicholson

Is Nicholson a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nicholson is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Nicholson?

CDC estimates 34.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 27% and 41.7%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Nicholson?

St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, 11.9 miles in a straight line from Nicholson’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.

How many people in Nicholson have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 14.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.1–17.9%), 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 Nicholson 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 Nicholson.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.