Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Tunnel Hill is healthier than 71%
Tunnel Hill differs from Georgia on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Tunnel Hill. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Tunnel Hill
Tunnel Hill is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Tunnel Hill is healthier than 42%. Against the 7,887 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$71K), it’s healthier than 71%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, COPD and heart disease run high in Tunnel Hill
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (9.6%), vs 7% across Georgia. 1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.1%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.3%, vs 6.1% across Georgia. In all, Tunnel Hill runs above Georgia on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Georgia 15%), and cancer, COPD and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Tunnel Hill adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Georgia. 1 in 9 adults worry about keeping their housing, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Tunnel Hill’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
What’s behind Tunnel Hill’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tunnel Hill is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 56% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 35%).
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). Tunnel Hill’s median household income is $56,536; among the 7,887 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$71K), it’s healthier than 71%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Tunnel Hill compares well: colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75), 70.5% (U.S. 65.5%).
Out of every 100 Tunnel Hill adults…
Tunnel Hill runs above GA on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Tunnel Hill is an older town: 31% 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 Tunnel Hill as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.5% of Tunnel Hill adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Care in and near Tunnel Hill
No hospital or community health center in Tunnel Hill 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 Tunnel Hill; ≈ 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.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Tunnel Hill adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
How Tunnel Hill adults are doing
About the same as Georgia on each measure.
1 in 3 Tunnel Hill 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.
Tunnel Hill and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel Hill | C+ | 35.4% | 12.8% | 15% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Tunnel Hill adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Tunnel Hill
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Tunnel Hill is better than Georgia on 4 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Tunnel Hill’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Tunnel Hill | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.4%17–24.7 | 20.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%12.9–17.7 | 13.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%15.2–20.1 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.4%28.7–42.4 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.8%10.9–14.9 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.1%33.2–41.3 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.8%36.6–45.1 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.1%25.9–32.5 | 24.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.5 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.6–10.6 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.3%6.3–8.5 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.1%6.6–10 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.3–4.5 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.1%10.7–16 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15%11.8–18.6 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.2%22.4–32.7 | 26.5% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.1%12.4–18.1 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.8%30.1–41.9 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.4%9.6–15.7 | 13.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.6%75.1–81.8 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.1%53.5–60.6 | 59.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.9%84.6–89 | 86.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.4%76.7–82.1 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.5%66–74.8 | 64.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.9%70–83 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22%18.8–25.5 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.5%29.4–40.4 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.3%17.9–25.5 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.7%10.8–17.7 | 17.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.8%8.7–13.5 | 15% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.7%5.5–8.2 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.6%6.3–9.2 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.5%8–13.9 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.4%26.8–36.8 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.3%12.6–18.5 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15%12.6–17.9 | 14.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8%7–9.3 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.4–6.3 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.2%7.7–11.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.4–5 | 4.2% | 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 Tunnel Hill
Is Tunnel Hill a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tunnel Hill is healthier than 42% 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 Tunnel Hill?
CDC estimates 35.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.7% and 42.4%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Tunnel Hill?
Commonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North Georgia in Ringgold, 10.1 miles in a straight line from Tunnel Hill’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Tunnel Hill have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.6–15.7%), 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 Tunnel Hill more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Tunnel Hill.
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.