Photo: Quentin Melson · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Nashville is healthier than 86%
Nashville differs from Indiana on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Nashville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Nashville
Nashville is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Nashville is healthier than 50%. Against the 6,339 towns with similar household incomes ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 86%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Nashville
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.7%), vs 8.3% across Indiana. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.2%), vs 6.8% across Indiana. Arthritis is also above the state: 40.7%, vs 28.3% across Indiana. In all, Nashville runs above Indiana on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 45% of residents are 65 or older (Indiana 17%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Nashville, and more people treating it
47.7% of adults have high blood pressure (Indiana 37.8%), but 86.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Nashville is short on primary care and mental health care
Nashville’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Nashville keeps up with checkups
It beats Indiana on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85.9% vs 79.7%) and dentist visits (64.9% vs 61.2%). Checkups ↓
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 Indiana figure falls outside Nashville’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Nashville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nashville is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 91% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Nashville’s median household income is $51,638; among the 6,339 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 86%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Nashville adults…
Nashville runs below IN on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Nashville is an older town: 45% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Indiana. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Nashville as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Nashville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Indiana.
Care in and near Nashville
No hospital or community health center in Nashville 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 Nashville; ≈ 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 Indiana
Share of adults, with the Indiana figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Nashville adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Nashville does better than Indiana.
3 in 10 Nashville 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.
5.1% of Nashville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.
Nashville and the towns around it
Nashville has the best Health Grade of the 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | B− | 33.6% | 16.1% | 13% | CDC place |
| Jackson Township | C+ | 37.2% | 14.5% | 16.3% | ZIP codes |
| Washington Township | B− | 35.7% | 14.6% | 15.2% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Nashville adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Nashville
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Nashville is better than Indiana on 15 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Indiana figure falls inside Nashville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Nashville | IN | U.S. | vs IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.8%17.5–24.6 | 20.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.1–17.7 | 13.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%12–15.7 | 17.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.6%26.3–41.6 | 38.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 16.1%13.9–18.7 | 13% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 47.7%43.1–52.5 | 37.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 46.1%41.4–51 | 37.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 40.7%36.7–45 | 28.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.6–12.2 | 11.2% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.7%13.2–16.2 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.2%8.9–11.7 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.4%8.7–12.5 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.3–5.7 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.8%7.8–11.8 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13%10.7–15.7 | 15.7% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.6%21.6–32.1 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 11.4%9.4–13.7 | 16.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30%24.3–36 | 37.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5–7.8 | 8.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85.9%83.3–88.2 | 79.7% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.9%61.5–68.2 | 61.2% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92%90.8–93.1 | 85.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 86.3%83.9–88.3 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76.1%71.9–80.1 | 66.3% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.7%71.9–84.6 | 76.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.5%19.2–26.1 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.4%23.4–33.4 | 32.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%16.3–23 | 23.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.1%7.2–11.3 | 14.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.5%5.3–7.8 | 11.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.9%4.1–5.7 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5%4.2–5.8 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.1%4–6.4 | 8.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.3%30.5–40.6 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.3%16.2–23 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.1%10.4–14.2 | 15% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 11%9.6–12.6 | 7.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.3–6 | 5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.3%6.8–9.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.3–4.7 | 3.7% | 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 Indiana figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Nashville
Is Nashville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nashville is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− 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 Nashville?
CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.3% and 41.6%, against 38.4% across Indiana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Nashville?
Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital in Bloomington, 16.6 miles in a straight line from Nashville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Nashville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–7.8%), against 8.9% across Indiana.
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 Nashville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Nashville.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Indiana 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.