Photo: James Willamor · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Nags Head is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Nags Head differs from North Carolina on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Nags Head. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Nags Head
Cancer and arthritis run high in Nags Head
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.9%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (32.4%), vs 26.9% across North Carolina. Age is part of it: 40% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Nags Head keeps up with checkups
It beats North Carolina on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (73.7% vs 63.6%) and cholesterol checks (92% vs 87.5%). Checkups ↓
Nags Head adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (27% vs 32.5%), frequent mental distress (13.3% vs 16.5%) and lack of emotional support (17.1% vs 22.5%) all run below North Carolina. Mind & connection ↓
Nags Head has a top-rated hospital
The Outer Banks Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Nags Head’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A+.
What’s behind Nags Head’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nags Head is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns, #62 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 93% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 54%.
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). Nags Head’s median household income is $91,264; among the 9,825 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($68K–$114K), it’s healthier than 86%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Nags Head adults…
Nags Head runs below NC on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Nags Head is an older town: 40% 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 Nags Head as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Nags Head adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Nags Head adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Nags Head does better than North Carolina.
1 in 4 Nags Head 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 Nags Head
1 hospital in Nags Head, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Nags Head; ≈ 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.
26 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.1% of Nags Head adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Nags Head and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nags Head | A− | 31.6% | 11.8% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| Kill Devil Hills | A | 31.7% | 9.8% | 11.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Nags Head adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Nags Head
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Nags Head is better than North Carolina on 15 and worse on 3; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Nags Head’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Nags Head | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.4%12.3–18.9 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10–14.4 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.3–15.5 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.6%24.2–39.7 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.8%9.8–13.9 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.1%35.2–44.8 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.8%36–45.6 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 32.4%28.3–36.4 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.7–11.4 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.9%10.6–13.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.5–8.9 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.3%5.6–9.2 | 7.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.1–4.3 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.1%4.8–7.7 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.1%8.2–14.6 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.8%15.3–24.8 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.6%11–16.4 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.3%20.9–32.7 | 34.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.2%4.6–8.2 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.1%79.8–85.9 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.7%70.5–76.9 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92%90.5–93.4 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.6%78.3–84.5 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.4%67.6–76.8 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.2%73–86.2 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.8%20–27.8 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27%22.3–32.1 | 32.5% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.1%14–20.7 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.9%5.8–10.4 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.3%4.9–7.9 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.5%3.5–5.5 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.8%3.9–5.8 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.1%4.2–8.2 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.9%24–34.4 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.6%10.8–16.6 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.1%9.2–13.4 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.4–10 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.3–4.9 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.5%5.3–7.9 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.7–4.1 | 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 Nags Head
Is Nags Head a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nags Head is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #62 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Nags Head?
CDC estimates 31.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.2% and 39.7%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Nags Head?
The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head, 0.4 miles in a straight line from Nags Head’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Nags Head have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.6–8.2%), 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 Nags Head 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 Nags Head.
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.