Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Cooleemee is healthier than 69%
Cooleemee trails North Carolina on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cooleemee. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cooleemee
Dental care lags in Cooleemee
56.8% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.6% across North Carolina. Among those 65 and older, 21.6% have lost all their teeth (North Carolina 13.9%). Checkups ↓
Smoking is more common in Cooleemee
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.9%), vs 13.5% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
COPD and heart disease run high in Cooleemee
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.1%), vs 7.1% across North Carolina. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.6%), vs 6.6% across North Carolina. Conditions ↓
Cooleemee is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Cooleemee is healthier than 28%. Against the 4,566 towns with similar household incomes ($35K–$58K), it’s healthier than 69%. Health Grade ↓
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 Cooleemee’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Cooleemee’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cooleemee is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 47% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 16%).
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). Cooleemee’s median household income is $46,750; among the 4,566 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$58K), it’s healthier than 69%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Keeping up with care
Share of Cooleemee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
0.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Cooleemee adults…
Cooleemee runs above NC on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Cooleemee
No hospital or community health center in Cooleemee 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 Cooleemee; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Cooleemee adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Cooleemee runs above North Carolina.
1 in 3 Cooleemee 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.
15.9% of Cooleemee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Cooleemee and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooleemee | C | 36.5% | 12.5% | 17.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cooleemee adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cooleemee
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cooleemee is better than North Carolina on 0 and worse on 12; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Cooleemee’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cooleemee | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23%19.6–26.7 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.1–17.3 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.2%16.9–21.8 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.5%28.6–45.1 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.5%10.7–14.4 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.1%33.8–42.5 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36%31.6–40.5 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.1%25.7–32.6 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.1–13 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.1%7.3–8.9 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.7–8.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.1%7.7–10.7 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.6–4.6 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 21.6%17.8–25.8 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.9%14.9–21.3 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.1%23.3–33.6 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%12.2–18.4 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.3%28.9–42.1 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13%10.4–15.9 | 10.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.5%73.5–81 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56.8%52.9–60.9 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.5%81.9–86.7 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.3%72.2–78.1 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60%54.5–65.3 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.2%68.7–82.9 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.4%23.4–31.7 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.7%29.5–40.2 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.7%20.1–27.7 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.5%15.3–22.1 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14%11.8–16.5 | 12.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.3%8–10.8 | 8.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10%8.6–11.6 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.9%13.1–19.3 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 38%33.1–43.4 | 32% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.8%14.3–19.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.8%16.3–21.4 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%7.8–10.2 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.5%5.7–7.4 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.5%9.1–12.2 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.2–5.6 | 4% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Cooleemee
Is Cooleemee a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cooleemee is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns: ≈ C 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 Cooleemee?
CDC estimates 36.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.6% and 45.1%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cooleemee?
Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury, 10.1 miles in a straight line from Cooleemee’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cooleemee have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.4–15.9%), 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 Cooleemee more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cooleemee.
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.