Photo: Daniel Hass · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Lake Junaluska is healthier than 84%
Lake Junaluska differs from North Carolina on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lake Junaluska. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lake Junaluska
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Lake Junaluska
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.6%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 6.6% across North Carolina. Arthritis is also above the state: 35.5%, vs 26.9% across North Carolina. In all, Lake Junaluska runs above North Carolina on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Lake Junaluska is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Lake Junaluska is healthier than 64%. Against the 10,116 towns with similar household incomes ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 84%. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Lake Junaluska, and more people treating it
43% of adults have high blood pressure (North Carolina 36.8%), but 83% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.7% statewide. Checkups ↓
Lake Junaluska keeps up with checkups
It beats North Carolina on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (67.6% vs 63.6%) and cholesterol checks (90.7% vs 87.5%). Checkups ↓
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 Lake Junaluska’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Lake Junaluska’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Junaluska is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, #126 of 289 in North Carolina. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 86% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 32%).
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). Lake Junaluska’s median household income is $66,165; among the 10,116 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 84%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Lake Junaluska adults…
Lake Junaluska runs above NC on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Lake Junaluska is an older town: 29% 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 Lake Junaluska as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lake Junaluska adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Care in and near Lake Junaluska
No hospital or community health center in Lake Junaluska 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 Lake Junaluska; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Lake Junaluska adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Lake Junaluska does better than North Carolina.
3 in 10 Lake Junaluska 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.
8.8% of Lake Junaluska adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Lake Junaluska and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Junaluska | B | 32.1% | 13.3% | 12.7% | CDC place |
| Waynesville | B− | 33.8% | 13.6% | 14.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lake Junaluska adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lake Junaluska
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake Junaluska is better than North Carolina on 11 and worse on 7; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Lake Junaluska’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lake Junaluska | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.3%16.7–22.4 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.3–16.1 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.6–16.4 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.1%24.8–40 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.5–15.5 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 43%38.4–47.7 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.2%37.5–47.1 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.5%31.6–39.5 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.2–11.8 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.6%11.4–13.8 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.3%8.3–10.5 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.3%8–10.8 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4–5 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.4%10–15.1 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.7%10.6–15 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24%19.8–28.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.8%10.4–15.5 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.2%23.1–35.7 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.1%6.5–9.9 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.8%79.6–85.6 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.6%64.1–71 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.7%89.3–92 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83%80.3–85.4 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.5%67.6–77 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.9%71.4–84.9 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.2%21.5–29.2 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.2%24.4–34.3 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.4%15.3–21.7 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.6%8.7–12.8 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.3–9 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.3%4.5–6.2 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.9%5.1–6.9 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.8%7–10.7 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.8%31.3–40.7 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.3%14.9–20 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.3%11.7–15.2 | 14.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.7%9.5–12 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.6–5.9 | 5.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.4%7.2–9.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 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 Lake Junaluska
Is Lake Junaluska a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Junaluska is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #126 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 Lake Junaluska?
CDC estimates 32.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.8% and 40%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lake Junaluska?
Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Lake Junaluska’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lake Junaluska have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–9.9%), 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 Lake Junaluska 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 Lake Junaluska.
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.