Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 2.5On CDC estimates, Valdosta is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns
Valdosta differs from Georgia on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 17 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Valdosta. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Valdosta
Making ends meet is harder in Valdosta
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (30%), vs 17.7% across Georgia. Utility shut-off threats (16.7% vs 9.6%) and no reliable transportation (16.4% vs 9.5%) are higher too. 28.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.2% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Dental care lags in Valdosta
51.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.2% across Georgia. Among those 65 and older, 21.2% have lost all their teeth (Georgia 14.5%). Checkups ↓
More Valdosta adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.8%), vs 26.5% across Georgia. There are 13 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Valdosta is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Valdosta is healthier than 12%. Against the 4,331 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 40%. 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 Valdosta’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Valdosta’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Valdosta is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns, #184 of 261 in Georgia. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 31% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Valdosta’s median household income is $45,925; among the 4,331 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 40%, 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 Valdosta is healthier than 30% of graded towns, against 12% nationally.
Where Valdosta compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.7% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
28.5% of Valdosta adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Keeping up with care
Share of Valdosta 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.
13 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Valdosta adults…
Valdosta runs below GA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Valdosta
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Valdosta, 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 Valdosta; ≈ 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 Valdosta adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Valdosta runs above Georgia.
2 in 5 Valdosta 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.
Valdosta and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Valdosta adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Valdosta
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Valdosta is better than Georgia on 1 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Valdosta’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Valdosta | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 26.1%23.4–28.9 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.5%13.8–17.3 | 13.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.7%18.6–23 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.6%35.4–47.7 | 35.2% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.8%13.1–16.5 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.3%34.7–41.8 | 37.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.3%29.8–36.8 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.2%21.7–26.8 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.3–13 | 10.1% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.8–7 | 6.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.9%7.1–8.8 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%4–4.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 21.2%18–24.7 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.7%14.7–19 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.8%28.6–37 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13%10.7–15.6 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.4%37–47.9 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.2%14.3–18.3 | 13.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.7%75.3–81.8 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 51.7%48.3–55 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.9%79.8–83.9 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.9%73.4–78.2 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.9%57.1–66.4 | 64.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.9%62.4–77.1 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.4%17.5–23.6 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 40.8%35.9–45.7 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.5%23.9–31.1 | 24.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 30%27–33.1 | 17.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 23.3%20.8–25.9 | 15% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.7%15–18.5 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 16.4%14.7–18 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 28.5%25.8–31 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.4%33.4–41.5 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.1%15.3–19 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.3%17.4–21.3 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.1%5.4–6.8 | 6.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.5%7.8–9.2 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.7%11.5–14 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.1%5.6–6.6 | 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 Valdosta
Is Valdosta a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Valdosta is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns: D for health, #184 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 40%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Valdosta?
CDC estimates 41.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.4% and 47.7%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Valdosta?
SGMC Health in Valdosta, 1.0 miles in a straight line from Valdosta’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Valdosta have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.3–18.3%), 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 Valdosta 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 Valdosta.
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.