Banner Elk Hotel · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Banner Elk is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Banner Elk differs from North Carolina on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Banner Elk. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Banner Elk
Mental distress runs high in Banner Elk
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (21.5%), vs 16.5% across North Carolina. Depression is above the state too: 29.8%, vs 24.2% across North Carolina. Mind & connection ↓
Diabetes and high blood pressure are less common in Banner Elk
Banner Elk runs below North Carolina on seven chronic conditions, most of all diabetes (8.4% vs 12%), high blood pressure (27.6% vs 36.8%) and stroke (2.8% 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 North Carolina figure falls outside Banner Elk’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Banner Elk’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Banner Elk is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 95% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Banner Elk’s median household income is $86,382; among the 10,291 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$108K), it’s healthier than 74%, about where its income would put it.
How Banner Elk adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Banner Elk runs above North Carolina.
4 in 10 Banner Elk 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.
Out of every 100 Banner Elk adults…
Banner Elk runs below NC on 7 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Banner Elk
No hospital or community health center in Banner Elk 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 Banner Elk; ≈ 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 North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
2.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Banner Elk adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11.2% of Banner Elk adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Banner Elk and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banner Elk | B+ | 31.4% | 8.4% | 11.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Banner Elk adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Banner Elk
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Banner Elk is better than North Carolina on 8 and worse on 4; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Banner Elk’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Banner Elk | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.8%14.7–22.3 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12%10.2–14.2 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.5%17.9–25 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.4%23.7–39.9 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.4%7.2–9.7 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 27.6%24.2–31.1 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.7%26.1–33.5 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 21.4%19–24 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.3–13.6 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.6%5.9–7.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%4.9–6.4 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.7%5.7–8.1 | 7.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.5–3.2 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.4%13.3–19.9 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.4%9.1–14.3 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.8%17.2–27.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%13.4–20.4 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.8%21.7–34.3 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.3%7.3–15.1 | 10.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.2%71.6–80.1 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.7%66.2–73 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 78.2%72.9–82.3 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71%68.8–73.2 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.4%64.1–74.3 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.5%66.7–82.7 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 29.8%25.5–34.6 | 24.2% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 37.2%31–43.9 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%17.3–26.5 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.4%11.2–21.4 | 15.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%7.9–13.5 | 12.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.6%5.2–8.2 | 8.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.1%7.6–13 | 8.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.2%8–15.7 | 12.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35%29.3–42.1 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.6%9.8–13.7 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.9%15.7–24.9 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7%6.1–8 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.3–6.2 | 5.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10%7.9–12.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.7–3.8 | 4% | 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 North Carolina figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Banner Elk
Is Banner Elk a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Banner Elk is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 74%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Banner Elk?
CDC estimates 31.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.7% and 39.9%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Banner Elk?
Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital in Linville, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Banner Elk’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Banner Elk have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.3–15.1%), against 10.4% across North Carolina.
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 Banner Elk 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 Banner Elk.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The North Carolina 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.