Photo: ADeveria · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Dudley is healthier than 59%
Dudley differs from North Carolina on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Dudley. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Dudley
Dental care lags in Dudley
52.1% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.6% across North Carolina. Among those 65 and older, 30.2% have lost all their teeth (North Carolina 13.9%). Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Dudley
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (27.2%), vs 15.2% across North Carolina. Housing insecurity (20.8% vs 12.2%) and utility shut-off threats (13.8% vs 8.1%) are higher too. 23% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Dudley adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.7%), vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
Dudley is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Dudley is healthier than 16%. Against the 3,058 towns with similar household incomes ($32K–$53K), it’s healthier than 59%. 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 Dudley’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
What’s behind Dudley’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dudley is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 50% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 5%).
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). Dudley’s median household income is $42,050; among the 3,058 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($32K–$53K), it’s healthier than 59%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Dudley compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.5% (U.S. 7.9%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.1% (U.S. 76.5%).
Keeping up with care
Share of Dudley 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.
23% of Dudley adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Out of every 100 Dudley adults…
Dudley runs below NC on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Dudley residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Dudley
No hospital or community health center in Dudley 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 Dudley; ≈ 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).
How Dudley adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Dudley runs above North Carolina.
1 in 3 Dudley 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.
Dudley and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | C− | 43.5% | 17.8% | 16.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Dudley adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Dudley
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Dudley is better than North Carolina on 2 and worse on 15; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Dudley’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Dudley | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.4%23.4–31.3 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.5–17.9 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.1%14.7–19.4 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.5%34.5–52.4 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.8%15.1–20.3 | 12% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 44.9%40.1–49.4 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.3%32.5–42.1 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.9%26–33.5 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.3–13.4 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.8–7.2 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.6–8.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.5%7.2–9.8 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.5–5.6 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 30.2%25.4–35 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.1%13.2–19 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32.7%26.7–38.5 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12.2%9.7–15.1 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.7%31.2–44.5 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 17.8%14.8–21.1 | 10.4% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.7%78–85 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.1%48.2–56 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.8%85.7–89.7 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.1%77–82.7 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.1%56.8–67 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74%65.5–80.9 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.7%18–25.4 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.4%28.2–38.9 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.2%23.1–31.4 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 27.2%23–31.4 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 20.8%17.7–24 | 12.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.8%11.8–15.9 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.2%11.4–15.2 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 23%19.4–27 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 38.5%32.9–43.9 | 32% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.4%17.4–23.3 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.3%14.8–19.7 | 14.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.2–8.2 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.7%7.6–9.7 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.9%9.3–12.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.5%5.6–7.3 | 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 Dudley
Is Dudley a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dudley is healthier than 16% 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 Dudley?
CDC estimates 43.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.5% and 52.4%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Dudley?
UNC Health Care Wayne in Goldsboro, 10.7 miles in a straight line from Dudley’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Dudley have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 17.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.8–21.1%), 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 Dudley 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 Dudley.
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.