Old Brick House · Photo: Harvey Harrison · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Elizabeth City is healthier than 61%
Elizabeth City differs from North Carolina on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Elizabeth City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Elizabeth City
Making ends meet is harder in Elizabeth City
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (22.1%), vs 15.2% across North Carolina. Utility shut-off threats (12.5% vs 8.1%) and housing insecurity (17.5% vs 12.2%) are higher too. 20.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Stroke and diabetes run high in Elizabeth City
1 in 22 adults have had a stroke (4.5%), vs 3.6% across North Carolina. 1 in 7 adults have diabetes (14.3%), vs 12% across North Carolina. Conditions ↓
Elizabeth City is short on primary care and dental care
Elizabeth City’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and dental care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Elizabeth City is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Elizabeth City is healthier than 30%. Against the 6,511 towns with similar household incomes ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 61%. 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 Elizabeth City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Elizabeth City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elizabeth City is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns, #203 of 289 in North Carolina. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 57% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Elizabeth City’s median household income is $52,141; among the 6,511 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 61%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Elizabeth City compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 7% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
20.1% of Elizabeth City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Out of every 100 Elizabeth City adults…
Elizabeth City runs below NC on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Elizabeth City
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Elizabeth City, 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 Elizabeth City; ≈ 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.
5.3 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Elizabeth City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Elizabeth City adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Elizabeth City 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.
Elizabeth City and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth City | C | 40.4% | 14.3% | 14.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Elizabeth City adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Elizabeth City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Elizabeth City is better than North Carolina on 1 and worse on 9; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Elizabeth City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Elizabeth City | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.7%20.1–25.7 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%12.1–15.4 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.3%16.3–20.6 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.4%32.1–49 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.3%12.5–16.2 | 12% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.5%36.3–44.9 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.9%30.7–39.4 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.9%24.8–31.2 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 12.3%10.9–13.9 | 10.8% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7%6.3–7.7 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.8%6.2–7.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.8%7–8.7 | 7.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.1–4.8 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.7%13.7–19.8 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.8%12.8–17.1 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.9%23.6–32.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13%10.5–15.8 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.2%30.3–44 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.2%9.6–13 | 10.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%78.5–84.8 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.9%55–62.5 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.8%85–88.5 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%75.3–80.1 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.3%64.2–73.9 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.4%72–85.2 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.7%20.3–27.7 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.4%30–41 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26%22.2–29.8 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 22.1%19.4–24.8 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 17.5%15.2–19.6 | 12.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12.5%11–14 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12%10.6–13.3 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 20.1%17.7–22.6 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.8%31.5–40.6 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.1%15.1–19.3 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%15.1–19 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%6.1–7.7 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 7%6.4–7.7 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.5%9.4–11.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 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 Elizabeth City
Is Elizabeth City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elizabeth City is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #203 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 Elizabeth City?
CDC estimates 40.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.1% and 49%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Elizabeth City?
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City, 1.7 miles in a straight line from Elizabeth City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Elizabeth City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.6–13%), 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 Elizabeth City 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 Elizabeth City.
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.