Walnut Hill Historic District · Photo: Nicholas Oren Rawlings · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Knightdale is healthier than 43%
Knightdale differs from North Carolina on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Knightdale. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Knightdale
Making ends meet is harder in Knightdale
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (18.4%), vs 15.2% across North Carolina. Utility shut-off threats (10.7% vs 8.1%) and housing insecurity (15.7% vs 12.2%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Knightdale’s lead shrinks
Knightdale is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, but 43% of the 8,095 towns with similar household incomes ($77K–$129K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Knightdale
Knightdale runs below North Carolina on four chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.2% vs 7.9%), heart disease (4.6% vs 6.6%) and COPD (5.5% vs 7.1%). A young population is part of it: only 10% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). Conditions ↓
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 Knightdale’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Knightdale’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Knightdale is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, #124 of 289 in North Carolina. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 88% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 35%).
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). Knightdale’s median household income is $103,220; among the 8,095 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$129K), it’s healthier than 43%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.5% of Knightdale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Out of every 100 Knightdale adults…
Knightdale runs below NC on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 10% of Knightdale residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Knightdale
No hospital or community health center in Knightdale 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 Knightdale; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Knightdale adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Knightdale adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Knightdale 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.
Knightdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knightdale | B | 35.7% | 11.1% | 13.5% | CDC place |
| Raleigh | A | 30.9% | 9.1% | 10.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Knightdale adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Knightdale
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Knightdale is better than North Carolina on 6 and worse on 6; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Knightdale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Knightdale | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.5%16.2–20.8 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.2%9.9–12.7 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.9–20 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.7%31–40.9 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.1%9.7–12.6 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.3%32–38.7 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32%28.7–35.4 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 21.8%19.3–24.3 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.3–13.1 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.2%4.7–5.8 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.6%4.1–5.1 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.5%4.8–6.2 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.8–3.3 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.1%14.1–20.5 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.5%11.6–15.5 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.1%19.8–26.6 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.9%11.6–16.3 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.3%32.9–41.8 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.7%9.2–12.4 | 10.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80%77.1–82.8 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62%58.8–65.2 | 63.6% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.5–88.8 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.6%69.3–75.7 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.7%58.2–67 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78%71.8–83.6 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.3%21.3–27.5 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.9%30.8–39.3 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.7%21.5–28.2 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.4%15.9–21 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 15.7%13.7–18 | 12.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.7%9.3–12.3 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10%8.8–11.3 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.5%13.2–18 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.6%25.3–32 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.3%10.7–13.9 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.4%13.6–17.2 | 14.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5%4.4–5.6 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 5.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%7.2–9 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 4% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Knightdale
Is Knightdale a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Knightdale is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #124 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 Knightdale?
CDC estimates 35.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 31% and 40.9%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Knightdale?
Wakemed, Raleigh Campus in Raleigh, 5.2 miles in a straight line from Knightdale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Knightdale have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.2–12.4%), 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 Knightdale more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Knightdale.
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.