Photo: (User:Wgreaves) · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Chapel Hill is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Chapel Hill differs from North Carolina on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Chapel Hill. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Chapel Hill
Stroke and diabetes are less common in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill runs below North Carolina on nine chronic conditions, most of all stroke (2.1% vs 3.6%), diabetes (7.2% vs 12%) and COPD (4.3% vs 7.1%). A young population is part of it: only 13% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). Conditions ↓
Chapel Hill has a five-star hospital
UNC Hospitals is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Few Chapel Hill adults smoke
9% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 13.5% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
Chapel Hill is an active town
Only 18.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across North Carolina. The town has 78 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
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 Chapel Hill’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Chapel Hill’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chapel Hill is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #38 of 289 in North Carolina. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 98% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 30%).
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). Chapel Hill’s median household income is $85,989; among the 10,314 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$107K), it’s healthier than 95%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Chapel Hill adults…
Chapel Hill runs below NC on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Chapel Hill, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Chapel Hill; ≈ 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.
78 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Chapel Hill adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Chapel Hill adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Chapel Hill 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.
11.8% of Chapel Hill adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Chapel Hill and the towns around it
Chapel Hill’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | A | 26.8% | 7.2% | 9% | CDC place |
| Carrboro | A+ | 28% | 7.4% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Durham | A− | 36.8% | 10.2% | 11.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Chapel Hill adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Chapel Hill
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Chapel Hill is better than North Carolina on 17 and worse on 3; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Chapel Hill’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Chapel Hill | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.5%12.7–16.5 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.6%8.5–10.9 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.3–20.5 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.8%21.3–33 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 7.2%6.3–8.3 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 25.4%22.3–28.7 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.1%25.8–32.7 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 17.8%15.7–20.2 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–12 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.8%5.3–6.4 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4%3.6–4.4 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.3%3.9–4.9 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.1%1.9–2.3 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.2%6.7–9.9 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9%7.7–10.4 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.7%15.7–22.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13–19 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.3%25.1–35.8 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%7.1–9.5 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.1%73.3–80.6 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.2%63.9–70.2 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81%78.7–83.2 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.9%65.4–70.4 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.2%64.7–73.3 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.8%74.6–85.9 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.6%23.1–30.6 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.5%29.9–39.5 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.3%17.4–23.5 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.9%12.9–17.1 | 15.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.8–11.7 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.3%6.3–8.3 | 8.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.8%8.7–11.1 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.8%10.3–13.6 | 12.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.4%24.9–32.5 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.3%7.3–9.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16%14.4–18 | 14.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.7–5.9 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.2–5 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.4–9.2 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.3–2.8 | 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 Chapel Hill
Is Chapel Hill a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chapel Hill is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #38 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Chapel Hill?
CDC estimates 26.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.3% and 33%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Chapel Hill?
UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Chapel Hill’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Chapel Hill have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.1–9.5%), 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 Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill.
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.