Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Portal

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Dr. James A Stewart House, Portal, GA, USPhoto: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Portal · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Portal residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Portal, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Portal

COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Portal

1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.4%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. 1 in 22 adults have had a stroke (4.5%), vs 3.6% across Georgia. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.6%, vs 6.1% across Georgia. In all, Portal runs above Georgia on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Portal

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.7%), vs 13.6% 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 Portal’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Portal adults…

Portal runs above GA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Portal adults have COPD
Georgia: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 7.8–11.1%
Better than GAWorseAbout the sameGeorgia
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia

Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.

Get no exercise 30.1%GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.8%GA 38.4%
Binge drink 13.6%GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettes 17.7%GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Portal, betterPortal, worseAbout the sameGeorgia
Where Portal gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Getting care

Care in and near Portal

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

HNearest ERCandler County HospitalMetter · 12.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyEast Georgia Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 12.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careEast GA Healthcare CenterMetter · 12.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
12.1 mi
Candler County Hospital
Metter · not rated
ERRural critical access
12.4 mi
East GA Healthcare Center
7 sites · nearest in Metter
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
12.4 mi
East Georgia Health Care Center - Metter
Metter · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
12.6 mi
East Georgia Regional Medical Center
Statesboro · ★★★★★
ER
18.4 mi
Jenkins County Medical Center
Millen · not rated
ERRural critical access
22 mi
Optim Medical Center - Screven
Sylvania · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Portal itself
✓ Dental carePortal is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Portal 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 Portal; ≈ 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 Portal adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.

78%Yearly checkupGA 78%
56%Dentist visitGA 59%
85%Cholesterol checkGA 87%
64%Colon screeningGA 64%
71%MammogramGA 76%
78%Taking BP medsGA 77%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Portal 14.2% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Portal adults are doing

About the same as Georgia on each measure.

4 in 10Portal adults feel lonely
37.2% · GA 37.3% · About the same as GA
1 in 4Portal adults lack social or emotional support
26.5% · GA 24.6% · About the same as GA
1 in 5Portal adults have been diagnosed with depression
21% · GA 19% · About the same as GA
1 in 5Portal adults are in frequent mental distress
19.3% · GA 16.9% · About the same as GA
The one neighbors can help with

4 in 10 Portal 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 5
Portal adults worry about having enough food
20.4% · GA 17.7%
About the same as GA
1 in 6
Portal adults worry about keeping their housing
16.2% · GA 15%
About the same as GA
1 in 10
Portal adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.5% · GA 9.6%
About the same as GA
1 in 9
Portal adults lack reliable transportation
10.9% · GA 9.5%
About the same as GA

17.7% of Portal adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Around town

Portal and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

35.6%

of Portal adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.3%
Thinking or memory17.6%
Hearing7.8%
Errands alone11.2%
Vision6.8%
Dressing or bathing5.4%
Georgia

Questions about health in Portal

Why doesn’t Portal have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Portal.

What hospital is closest to Portal?

Candler County Hospital in Metter, 12.1 miles in a straight line from Portal’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Portal.

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. 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.