On CDC estimates, Sylvania is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns
Sylvania differs from Georgia on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 18 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sylvania. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sylvania
Stroke, COPD and heart disease run high in Sylvania
1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.7%), vs 3.6% across Georgia. 1 in 10 adults have COPD (10%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. Heart disease is also above the state: 9.1%, vs 6.1% across Georgia. In all, Sylvania runs above Georgia on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Georgia 15%), and stroke, COPD and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in Sylvania
52.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.2% across Georgia. Among those 65 and older, 22.5% have lost all their teeth (Georgia 14.5%). Checkups ↓
More Sylvania adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (34%), vs 26.5% across Georgia. Habits ↓
Sylvania is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Sylvania is healthier than 12%. Against the 4,361 towns with similar household incomes ($35K–$58K), it’s healthier than 38%. 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 Sylvania’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Sylvania’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sylvania is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns, #187 of 261 in Georgia. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 35% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Sylvania’s median household income is $46,033; among the 4,361 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$58K), it’s healthier than 38%, 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 Sylvania is healthier than 28% of graded towns, against 12% nationally.
Where Sylvania compares well: binge drinking, 11.2% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 82.2% (U.S. 77.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 83% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Sylvania adults…
Sylvania runs above GA on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Sylvania is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Sylvania as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sylvania adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
1.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Sylvania
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Sylvania, 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 Sylvania; ≈ 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).
How Sylvania adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
2 in 5 Sylvania 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.
20.7% of Sylvania adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Sylvania and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvania | D | 39.8% | 18.9% | 17.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sylvania adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sylvania
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sylvania is better than Georgia on 3 and worse on 18; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Sylvania’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sylvania | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27%23.8–30.3 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%15.4–19.4 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.9–19.9 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.8%31.9–47.9 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 18.9%16.7–21.3 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 48.1%43.8–52.4 | 37.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.8%37.2–46.3 | 36.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.3%29.7–36.8 | 24.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.2%9.8–12.5 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.9%8–9.8 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.1%8.1–10.1 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10%8.8–11.3 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.7%5.1–6.2 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 22.5%18.9–26.5 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.4%15–19.8 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 34%29–39.1 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.2%9.1–13.6 | 14.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 41.6%34.6–48.7 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13.9%11.8–16.2 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.2%79–85.1 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.7%48.9–56.3 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.1%86.5–89.6 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83%80.6–85.1 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.7%61.7–71.5 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.2%67.3–81.7 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.2%16.1–22.4 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.9%32.5–43.3 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.4%22.6–30.2 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 23.3%20.2–26.5 | 17.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 18%15.7–20.5 | 15% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12.2%10.6–13.8 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.7%10.3–13.1 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 20.7%18–23.5 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.6%32.9–42.1 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.3%18.7–23.9 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.4%14.6–18.4 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8%7.2–8.8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.7%10.4–13.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.3%5.6–7 | 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 Sylvania
Is Sylvania a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sylvania is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns: D for health, #187 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 38%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sylvania?
CDC estimates 39.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.9% and 47.9%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sylvania?
Optim Medical Center - Screven in Sylvania, 0.4 miles in a straight line from Sylvania’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Sylvania have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 11.8–16.2%), 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 Sylvania 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 Sylvania.
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.