On CDC estimates, Forest Oaks is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Forest Oaks differs from North Carolina on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forest Oaks. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forest Oaks
Forest Oaks keeps up with checkups
It beats North Carolina on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (72.2% vs 63.6%) and cholesterol checks (91.6% vs 87.5%). Checkups ↓
Cancer runs high in Forest Oaks
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.3%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Forest Oaks is an active town
Only 17.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across North Carolina. 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 Forest Oaks’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Forest Oaks’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Oaks is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns, #35 of 289 in North Carolina. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 92% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 70%.
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). Forest Oaks’ median household income is $107,604; among the 7,527 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($81K–$135K), it’s healthier than 89%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Forest Oaks adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Out of every 100 Forest Oaks adults…
Forest Oaks runs below NC on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Forest Oaks is an older town: 26% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Forest Oaks 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.
Care in and near Forest Oaks
No hospital or community health center in Forest Oaks 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 Forest Oaks; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Forest Oaks adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Forest Oaks does better than North Carolina.
3 in 10 Forest Oaks 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.
5.5% of Forest Oaks adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Forest Oaks and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Oaks | A | 33.3% | 10.6% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Greensboro | B− | 39.1% | 12.2% | 13.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forest Oaks adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forest Oaks
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forest Oaks is better than North Carolina on 16 and worse on 1; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Forest Oaks’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forest Oaks | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.3%11.1–15.7 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.7%9.1–12.4 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%11.7–15.5 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.3%27.5–39.7 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.6%9–12.4 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37%33–41.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.6%33.4–41.9 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.4%26–33.1 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.3%9.3–11.4 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.5–7.3 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.5–6.6 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.3%2.9–3.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.4%5.9–9.2 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.3%7.3–11.5 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.8%14.4–21.4 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14.4%11.8–17.2 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.7%26–35.7 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.1%4.8–7.6 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.7%79.6–85.5 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.2%68.9–75.2 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.6%90.1–92.9 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.4%77.3–83.1 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.4%67.8–76.7 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.9%77.2–87.8 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.1%19.8–26.9 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.3%25–34.2 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%16.7–23.2 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.8%6.2–9.6 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.4%6.1–9 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.8%4–5.7 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.2–5.8 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.5%4.3–6.9 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.3%24.3–32.7 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.5%9.5–13.7 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11%9.2–12.7 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.4–8.5 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.9%5–6.9 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.4–3.2 | 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 Forest Oaks
Is Forest Oaks a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Oaks is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns: A for health, #35 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 89%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forest Oaks?
CDC estimates 33.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.5% and 39.7%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forest Oaks?
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro, 8.4 miles in a straight line from Forest Oaks’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Forest Oaks have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.8–7.6%), 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 Forest Oaks 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 Forest Oaks.
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.