On CDC estimates, Buies Creek is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns
Buies Creek differs from North Carolina on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Buies Creek. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Buies Creek
Mental distress runs high in Buies Creek
1 in 4 adults are in frequent mental distress (23.4%), vs 16.5% across North Carolina. Depression is above the state too: 32.1%, vs 24.2% across North Carolina. Mind & connection ↓
Buies Creek is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Buies Creek is healthier than 80%. Against the 7,097 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 98%. Health Grade ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Buies Creek doesn’t win on
19.2% of adults binge drink, vs 14.7% across North Carolina, even though fewer of them smoke. Habits ↓
Cancer and diabetes are less common in Buies Creek
Buies Creek runs below North Carolina on eight chronic conditions, most of all cancer (3.5% vs 7.9%), diabetes (5.5% vs 12%) and heart disease (3.3% vs 6.6%). A young population is part of it: only 9% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). 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 Buies Creek’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Buies Creek’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Buies Creek is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns, #78 of 289 in North Carolina. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Buies Creek’s median household income is $53,933; among the 7,097 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 98%, more than its income alone would suggest.
How Buies Creek adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Buies Creek runs above North Carolina.
2 in 5 Buies Creek 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Buies Creek adults…
Buies Creek runs below NC on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 9% of Buies Creek residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Buies Creek
No hospital or community health center in Buies Creek 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 Buies Creek; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Buies Creek 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.
13.5% of Buies Creek adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Buies Creek and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buies Creek | A− | 28.6% | 5.5% | 10.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Buies Creek adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Buies Creek
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Buies Creek is better than North Carolina on 10 and worse on 9; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Buies Creek’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Buies Creek | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.1%13.1–19.8 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10%8.3–11.8 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 23.4%19.7–27.1 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.6%22.5–35.7 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 5.5%4.7–6.3 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 22%19.2–25.1 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 22.3%19.4–25.4 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 13.6%11.9–15.4 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.2–13.3 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 3.5%3.2–3.9 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.3%2.9–3.8 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.6%3.8–5.4 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.8%1.6–2 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.6%15–22.3 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.2%7.9–12.8 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 20.2%15.9–25.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 19.2%15.8–23 | 14.7% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.2%27.1–39.4 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.5%7–13 | 10.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.2%69.7–78.4 | 80% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.7%57.9–65.3 | 63.6% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 74.2%69.6–78.5 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 56.3%54–58.8 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%60.9–71 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.5%67.3–82.1 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 32.1%27.7–36.7 | 24.2% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 40.2%34.2–46.4 | 32.5% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.1%18.2–26.8 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17.3%13.1–22.7 | 15.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.7%9.1–14.7 | 12.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8%6.5–9.8 | 8.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.8%9.4–14.7 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.5%10–17.9 | 12.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.3%27.4–39.5 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.9%6.7–9.3 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.2%17.1–25.6 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.7%4.1–5.3 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4.1–5.8 | 5.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10%7.9–12.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.2–3 | 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 Buies Creek
Is Buies Creek a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Buies Creek is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #78 of 289 in North Carolina. 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 Buies Creek?
CDC estimates 28.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.5% and 35.7%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Buies Creek?
Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn, 13.6 miles in a straight line from Buies Creek’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Buies Creek have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7–13%), 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 Buies Creek 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 Buies Creek.
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.