Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Calabash is healthier than 90%
Calabash differs from North Carolina on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Calabash. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Calabash
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Calabash
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.2%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 6.6% across North Carolina. Arthritis is also above the state: 35.2%, vs 26.9% across North Carolina. In all, Calabash runs above North Carolina on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Calabash is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Calabash is healthier than 69%. Against the 9,995 towns with similar household incomes ($49K–$82K), it’s healthier than 90%. Health Grade ↓
Calabash keeps up with checkups
It beats North Carolina on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.8% vs 80%) and dentist visits (67.8% vs 63.6%). Checkups ↓
Fewer Calabash adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below North Carolina. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 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 North Carolina figure falls outside Calabash’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Calabash’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Calabash is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, #114 of 289 in North Carolina. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 89% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 33%).
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). Calabash’s median household income is $65,310; among the 9,995 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$82K), it’s healthier than 90%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Calabash adults…
Calabash runs above NC on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Calabash is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Calabash as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Calabash 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.
7.5% of Calabash adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Care in and near Calabash
No hospital or community health center in Calabash 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 Calabash; ≈ 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.
How Calabash adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Calabash does better than North Carolina.
3 in 10 Calabash 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.
Calabash and the towns around it
Calabash’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calabash | B+ | 32.1% | 13.2% | 12.5% | CDC place |
| Sunset Beach | B+ | 29.7% | 15.3% | 9.9% | CDC place |
| Carolina Shores | B+ | 30.7% | 15% | 10.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Calabash adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Calabash
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Calabash is better than North Carolina on 12 and worse on 6; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Calabash’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Calabash | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.1%15.5–20.9 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%11.8–15.4 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.3–16 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.1%25.3–39.5 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.2%11.2–15.1 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.6%36–45.1 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.8%37.1–46.5 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.2%31.3–39.1 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9–11.7 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.2%11.1–13.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.4%7.2–9.8 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.8–4.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.2%11.5–17.2 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.5%10.4–14.9 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.7%18.7–26.9 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%10.7–16 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.5%26.6–38.5 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%7.1–10.3 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.8%80.7–86.6 | 80% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.8%64.3–71.2 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.4%90.1–92.6 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.7%79.7–85.4 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.6%67.7–76.8 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77%69.1–83.3 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.4%19.8–27.2 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.7%24.1–33.5 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19%16.1–22.3 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.1%8.4–12.1 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.8%6.6–9.2 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.4–6 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%5–6.6 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.5%6.1–9.2 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.4%29–38 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%13.8–18.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.9%11.2–14.6 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.8%8.6–11.1 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4.4–5.5 | 5.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.7–8.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.4–4.4 | 4% | 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 North Carolina figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Calabash
Is Calabash a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Calabash is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #114 of 289 in North Carolina. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Calabash?
CDC estimates 32.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.3% and 39.5%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Calabash?
Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Supply, 16.0 miles in a straight line from Calabash’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Calabash have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.1–10.3%), 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 Calabash 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 Calabash.
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.