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Waco Lodge No 149, Waco GAPhoto: John Phelan · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Waco · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Waco residents get care

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

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Waco

Cancer, COPD and depression run high in Waco

1 in 10 adults have had cancer (9.8%), vs 7% across Georgia. 1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 6.5% across Georgia. Depression is also above the state: 23.7%, vs 19% across Georgia. In all, Waco runs above Georgia on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Fewer Waco adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Georgia. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 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 Waco’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Waco adults…

Waco runs above GA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Waco adults have had cancer
Georgia: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 8.8–10.7%
Better than GAWorseAbout the sameGeorgia
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 8
Waco adults worry about having enough food
12.9% · GA 17.7%
Better than GA
1 in 10
Waco adults worry about keeping their housing
10.3% · GA 15%
Better than GA
1 in 15
Waco adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.6% · GA 9.6%
Better than GA
1 in 14
Waco adults lack reliable transportation
7.4% · GA 9.5%
Better than GA

10% of Waco adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Getting care

Care in and near Waco

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

HNearest ERTanner Medical Center Villa RicaVilla Rica · 15.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyTanner Medical Center Villa Rica★★★★★ · 15.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePalmetto Health CouncilCarrollton · 11.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.7 mi
Higgins General Hospital
Bremen · not rated
Rural critical access
11.1 mi
Palmetto Health Council
3 sites · nearest in Carrollton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11.3 mi
Tanner Medical Center - Carrollton
Carrollton · ★★★★★
15.9 mi
Tanner Medical Center Villa Rica
Villa Rica · ★★★★★
ER
21.2 mi
Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center
Cedartown · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.5 mi
Quality of Life Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Heflin
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careWaco is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWaco is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthWaco is not a shortage area

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 Waco; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia

Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.8%GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.8%GA 38.4%
Binge drink 15.7%GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettes 15.4%GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Waco, betterWaco, worseAbout the sameGeorgia
Where Waco gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupGA 78%
63%Dentist visitGA 59%
87%Cholesterol checkGA 87%
65%Colon screeningGA 64%
73%MammogramGA 76%
79%Taking BP medsGA 77%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Waco 10.8% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Waco adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Waco runs above Georgia.

1 in 3Waco adults feel lonely
35.6% · GA 37.3% · About the same as GA
1 in 5Waco adults lack social or emotional support
21.6% · GA 24.6% · About the same as GA
1 in 4Waco adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.7% · GA 19% · Worse than GA
1 in 5Waco adults are in frequent mental distress
18.2% · GA 16.9% · About the same as GA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Waco 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.

Around town

Waco and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
BremenB−35%11.4%15.7%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

33.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.6%
Thinking or memory15.4%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone9.2%
Vision5.1%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Georgia

Questions about health in Waco

Why doesn’t Waco have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Waco?

Tanner Medical Center Villa Rica in Villa Rica, 15.9 miles in a straight line from Waco’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.