Photo: Yuming Huang · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Kill Devil Hills is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Kill Devil Hills differs from North Carolina on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kill Devil Hills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kill Devil Hills
Cancer runs high in Kill Devil Hills
1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.5%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. Conditions ↓
Fewer Kill Devil Hills adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below North Carolina. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Kill Devil Hills is an active town
Only 18.9% 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 Kill Devil Hills’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
What’s behind Kill Devil Hills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kill Devil Hills is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #42 of 289 in North Carolina. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 88% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 77%.
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). Kill Devil Hills’ median household income is $89,773; among the 9,967 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($67K–$112K), it’s healthier than 93%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Kill Devil Hills adults…
Kill Devil Hills runs below NC on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.3% of Kill Devil Hills 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.
3.7 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Care in and near Kill Devil Hills
No hospital or community health center in Kill Devil Hills 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 Kill Devil Hills; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Kill Devil Hills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Kill Devil Hills adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Kill Devil Hills does better than North Carolina.
3 in 10 Kill Devil Hills 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.
Kill Devil Hills and the towns around it
Kill Devil Hills’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | A | 31.7% | 9.8% | 11.5% | CDC place |
| Nags Head | A− | 31.6% | 11.8% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| Kitty Hawk | A | 30.4% | 10.1% | 10.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Kill Devil Hills adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kill Devil Hills
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kill Devil Hills is better than North Carolina on 14 and worse on 1; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Kill Devil Hills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kill Devil Hills | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.5%12–17.1 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%9.7–13.1 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%12.9–17 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.7%24–39.6 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.8%8.3–11.5 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 34.4%29.9–38.8 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.3%31.6–41 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.2%23.6–30.6 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%8.9–11.5 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.5%8.5–10.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.2–6.7 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.1%5–7.2 | 7.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3%2.6–3.4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.8%7.8–12.1 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.5%9.2–13.9 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.9%15.1–23.1 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13.1–19.3 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.7%22.1–34.1 | 34.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%5.8–8.8 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.1%76.5–83.3 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.4%68.1–74.7 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.9%88.3–91.4 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.1%73.7–80.2 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.7%62.9–72.5 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.2%69.5–83.9 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25%21.2–29 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.1%24.2–34.4 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.6%15.4–22.2 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.7%6.8–10.7 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.1–9.2 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.2–6 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.3%4.5–6.3 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.3%4.9–7.9 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.2%22.8–31.6 | 32% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.5%9.5–13.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.2%10.4–14.1 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7%6.1–8 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.7%3.2–4.2 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.4–7.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3%2.5–3.4 | 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 Kill Devil Hills
Is Kill Devil Hills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kill Devil Hills is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #42 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 93%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kill Devil Hills?
CDC estimates 31.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 24% and 39.6%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kill Devil Hills?
The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Kill Devil Hills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Kill Devil Hills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–8.8%), 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 Kill Devil Hills 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 Kill Devil Hills.
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.