Photo: John Trainor · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Watkinsville is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Watkinsville differs from Georgia on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 21 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Watkinsville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Watkinsville
Watkinsville is an active town
Only 17.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.5% across Georgia. Habits ↓
Watkinsville keeps up with checkups
It beats Georgia on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (72.9% vs 59.2%) and cholesterol checks (89.5% vs 86.8%). Checkups ↓
COPD and diabetes are less common in Watkinsville
Watkinsville runs below Georgia on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.4% vs 6.5%), diabetes (9.2% vs 13.3%) and stroke (2.5% vs 3.6%). Conditions ↓
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 Watkinsville’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Watkinsville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Watkinsville is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, #13 of 261 in Georgia. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 95% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 85%.
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). Watkinsville’s median household income is $92,147; among the 9,695 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($69K–$115K), it’s healthier than 98%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Georgia
Share of adults, with the Georgia figure marked.
9.7 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Watkinsville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.
Out of every 100 Watkinsville adults…
Watkinsville runs below GA on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Watkinsville residents are 65 or older, vs 15% across Georgia. Heart disease, COPD and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Watkinsville
No hospital or community health center in Watkinsville 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 Watkinsville; ≈ 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 Watkinsville adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Watkinsville does better than Georgia.
1 in 3 Watkinsville 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.
4.8% of Watkinsville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.
Watkinsville and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watkinsville | A | 29.2% | 9.2% | 9.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Watkinsville adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Watkinsville
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Watkinsville is better than Georgia on 21 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Georgia figure falls inside Watkinsville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Watkinsville | GA | U.S. | vs GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.5%10.4–15.1 | 20.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.5%9–12.3 | 13.5% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.4–16.8 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.2%22.5–36.9 | 35.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.2%7.8–10.7 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.2%27.3–35.5 | 37.4% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.8%31.6–40.2 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.5%20.5–26.7 | 24.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.2%8.1–10.4 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.7–9.4 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.1–5.3 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.4%3.6–5.4 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.2–2.8 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.9%4.7–7.3 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.2%7–11.8 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.3%13.7–21.6 | 26.5% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%14.5–20.8 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.9%23.2–35.5 | 38.4% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.4%5.7–9.6 | 13.1% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.8%75.4–82 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.9%69.8–75.9 | 59.2% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.5%87.6–91.1 | 86.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.9%73.7–79.6 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.8%65–74.4 | 64.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.4%73.5–86.1 | 75.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.5%17.2–24 | 19% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.6%27.3–37.8 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.2%15.6–22.7 | 24.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.4%5.7–9.4 | 17.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.3%5.7–8.9 | 15% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.5%3.6–5.4 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.8%3.9–5.7 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.8%3.5–6.3 | 14.2% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.3%18.5–26.6 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.1%7.5–10.9 | 14% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.5%8.8–12.6 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.6–6.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3%2.6–3.5 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.5%4.6–6.6 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.3%2–2.7 | 4.2% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Watkinsville
Is Watkinsville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Watkinsville is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns: A for health, #13 of 261 in Georgia. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 98%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Watkinsville?
CDC estimates 29.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.5% and 36.9%, against 35.2% across Georgia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Watkinsville?
St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Watkinsville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Watkinsville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.7–9.6%), 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 Watkinsville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Watkinsville.
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.