W. H. Langley House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC0On CDC estimates, Elm City is healthier than 5% of U.S. towns
Elm City differs from North Carolina on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 19 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Elm City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Elm City
Stroke, diabetes and COPD run high in Elm City
1 in 15 adults have had a stroke (6.8%), about twice the North Carolina rate. 1 in 5 adults have diabetes (21.2%), vs 12% across North Carolina. COPD is also above the state: 12.2%, vs 7.1% across North Carolina. In all, Elm City runs above North Carolina on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and stroke, diabetes and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Elm City adults get no exercise
36.5% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Elm City
51.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.6% across North Carolina. Among those 65 and older, 29% have lost all their teeth (North Carolina 13.9%). Checkups ↓
Elm City is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Elm City is healthier than 5%. Against the 1,455 towns with similar household incomes ($27K–$45K), it’s healthier than 39%. 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 Elm City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Elm City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elm City is healthier than 5% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 27% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Elm City’s median household income is $36,150; among the 1,455 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($27K–$45K), it’s healthier than 39%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Elm City compares well: binge drinking, 10.2% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 84.1% (U.S. 77.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.5% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Elm City adults…
Elm City runs above NC on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Elm City is an older town: 27% 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 Elm City as about how healthy they are.
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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Elm City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Care in and near Elm City
No hospital or community health center in Elm City 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 Elm 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).
How Elm City adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Elm City runs above North Carolina.
1 in 3 Elm 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
29.7% of Elm City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Elm City and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm City | D | 41.8% | 21.2% | 20.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Elm City adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Elm City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Elm City is better than North Carolina on 3 and worse on 19; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Elm City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Elm City | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 31.5%27.4–35.5 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%15.8–20.3 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.4%16.2–20.7 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.8%33.4–50.5 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 21.2%18.6–23.9 | 12% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 51.3%46.9–55.6 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.9%35.3–44.6 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 36.2%32.5–40.1 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.7%11.3–14.4 | 10.8% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8%7.2–8.9 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.4%9.2–11.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 12.2%10.6–13.9 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6.8%6.1–7.5 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 29%24.5–33.9 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.2%17–23.4 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 36.5%30.9–42.1 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 10.2%8.2–12.5 | 14.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4%31.8–45.4 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.1%11.5–16.9 | 10.4% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.1%81.1–86.9 | 80% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 51.3%47.5–55.2 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.7%85.8–89.4 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.5%80.1–84.8 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.4%60.1–70.4 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.5%71.3–84.7 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.2%19.8–27.1 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.6%28.3–38.4 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.2%23.1–31 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 30%25.5–34.4 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.2%18.1–24.3 | 12.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 15.9%13.7–18.1 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.8%12.8–16.8 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 29.7%25.3–34 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 45.2%40–50.3 | 32% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 26%22.8–29.3 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.1%16.7–21.5 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.5%8.4–10.6 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 10.4%9.2–11.7 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 13.7%12–15.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 8.2%7.2–9.3 | 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 Elm City
Is Elm City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elm City is healthier than 5% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 39%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Elm City?
CDC estimates 41.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.4% and 50.5%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Elm City?
Wilson Medical Center in Wilson, 7.5 miles in a straight line from Elm City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Elm City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 11.5–16.9%), 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 Elm City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Elm 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.