Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Kure Beach is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns
Kure Beach differs from North Carolina on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kure Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kure Beach
Cancer and arthritis run high in Kure Beach
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (13.2%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.2%), vs 26.9% across North Carolina. In all, Kure Beach runs above North Carolina on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Kure Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats North Carolina on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (84.6% vs 80%) and dentist visits (77.5% vs 63.6%). Checkups ↓
Kure Beach adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (27.2% vs 32.5%), frequent mental distress (12.3% vs 16.5%) and lack of emotional support (16.8% vs 22.5%) all run below North Carolina. Mind & connection ↓
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 Kure Beach’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Kure Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kure Beach is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 97% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 61%.
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). Kure Beach’s median household income is $104,149; among the 7,962 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($78K–$130K), it’s healthier than 91%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Kure Beach adults…
Kure Beach runs below NC on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Kure Beach is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Kure Beach as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Kure Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Kure Beach adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Kure Beach does better than North Carolina.
1 in 4 Kure Beach 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.
Care in and near Kure Beach
No hospital or community health center in Kure Beach 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 Kure Beach; ≈ 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.
0.6 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
3.9% of Kure Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Kure Beach and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kure Beach | A | 28.3% | 11.4% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Carolina Beach | A− | 31.9% | 11.7% | 12.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Kure Beach adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kure Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kure Beach is better than North Carolina on 19 and worse on 3; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Kure Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kure Beach | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.8%11.2–16.9 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.5%9.7–13.5 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.3%10.6–14.3 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.3%22.4–34.8 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.4%9.6–13.4 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40%35.4–44.6 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.9%40.3–49.5 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.2%30.2–38.3 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.7–11.2 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.2%11.9–14.6 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.5%6.5–8.7 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.6%5.2–8.3 | 7.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3–4.1 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.6%6.9–10.7 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.4%7–12.1 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.9%14–22.3 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%12.6–18.1 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.8%21.8–32.1 | 34.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.8%3.6–6.4 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.6%81.8–87.1 | 80% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.5%74.7–80.2 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.6%92.3–94.6 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.1%78.9–85 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 78.7%74.7–82.4 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.6%76.4–87.7 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.3%19.1–25.9 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.2%22.7–32.1 | 32.5% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 16.8%13.7–20.3 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.7%4.1–7.7 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 4.8%3.7–6.1 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.3%2.6–4 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.8%3–4.6 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.9%2.8–5.5 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.2%23.7–33.1 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.6%10.3–15.4 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10%8.4–12 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.5%7.4–9.7 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%2.8–4.1 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%4.6–6.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.4–3.5 | 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 Kure Beach
Is Kure Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kure Beach is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 91%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kure Beach?
CDC estimates 28.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.4% and 34.8%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kure Beach?
J Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital in Southport, 8.2 miles in a straight line from Kure Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Kure Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.6–6.4%), 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 Kure Beach 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 Kure Beach.
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.