Poplar Grove · Photo: BSLRed · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Porters Neck is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns
Porters Neck differs from North Carolina on 25 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Porters Neck. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Porters Neck
Cancer and arthritis run high in Porters Neck
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.9%), vs 7.9% across North Carolina. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (32.8%), vs 26.9% across North Carolina. In all, Porters Neck runs above North Carolina on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Porters Neck is older than North Carolina, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Porters Neck runs below North Carolina on obesity (26.1% vs 35.1%) and COPD (5.6% vs 7.1%). That’s despite an older population: 33% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). Conditions ↓
Porters Neck keeps up with checkups
It beats North Carolina on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (84.8% vs 80%) and dentist visits (76.3% vs 63.6%). 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 Porters Neck’s likely range.
What’s behind Porters Neck’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Porters Neck is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns, #14 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 almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, 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). Porters Neck’s median household income is $119,979; among the 5,757 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($90K–$150K), it’s healthier than 96%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Porters Neck adults…
Porters Neck runs below NC on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Porters Neck is an older town: 33% 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 Porters Neck as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Porters Neck adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Care in and near Porters Neck
No hospital or community health center in Porters Neck 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 Porters Neck; ≈ 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.
How Porters Neck adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Porters Neck does better than North Carolina.
1 in 4 Porters Neck 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.
3.4% of Porters Neck adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Porters Neck and the towns around it
Porters Neck has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porters Neck | A+ | 26.1% | 10.3% | 7.2% | CDC place |
| Bayshore | A | 29.1% | 8.6% | 9.6% | CDC place |
| Ogden | A | 29.1% | 9.4% | 9.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Porters Neck adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Porters Neck
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Porters Neck is better than North Carolina on 22 and worse on 3; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Porters Neck’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Porters Neck | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.4%10.1–15.1 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.2%8.6–12 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%9.8–13.1 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.1%20.7–32.3 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.3%8.7–12.1 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.7%34.5–43.1 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43%38.5–47.5 | 35.6% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 32.8%29.1–36.8 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 10.8% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.9%12.5–15.4 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.4–8.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.6%4.4–7 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.4%2.9–4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.7%3.7–5.9 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.2%5.5–9.3 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.8%13.4–21 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14.7%12.2–17.5 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.2%21.4–31.4 | 34.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5%3.8–6.3 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.8%82–87.2 | 80% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.3%73.5–79.1 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.4%92.2–94.4 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.4%79.4–85 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 77.4%73.4–81.1 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83%76.8–88 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21%17.9–24.5 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.9%22.5–31.5 | 32.5% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 15.8%13.1–18.8 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 4.9%3.8–6.3 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 4.4%3.5–5.4 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3%2.5–3.7 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.5%2.9–4.2 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.4%2.5–4.6 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.6%23.6–32.3 | 32% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.8%9.6–14.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.1%7.6–10.8 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.7–10.3 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.2%2.7–3.9 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.3%4.4–6.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2–3 | 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 Porters Neck
Is Porters Neck a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Porters Neck is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #14 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 96%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Porters Neck?
CDC estimates 26.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.7% and 32.3%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Porters Neck?
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, 8.8 miles in a straight line from Porters Neck’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Porters Neck have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.8–6.3%), 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 Porters Neck more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Porters Neck.
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.