Photo: Chrishash1991 · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Sparta is healthier than 75%
Sparta trails North Carolina on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sparta. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sparta
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Sparta
1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.6%), vs 7.1% across North Carolina. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.4%), vs 6.6% across North Carolina. Stroke is also above the state: 4.9%, vs 3.6% across North Carolina. In all, Sparta runs above North Carolina on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in Sparta
56.9% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.6% across North Carolina. Among those 65 and older, 23.5% have lost all their teeth (North Carolina 13.9%). Checkups ↓
More Sparta adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.1%), vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
Sparta is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Sparta is healthier than 25%. Against the 3,173 towns with similar household incomes ($32K–$53K), it’s healthier than 75%. Health Grade ↓
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 Sparta’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Sparta’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sparta is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 50% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 16%).
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). Sparta’s median household income is $42,454; among the 3,173 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($32K–$53K), it’s healthier than 75%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Sparta adults…
Sparta runs above NC on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Sparta is an older town: 31% 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 Sparta as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sparta adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Care in and near Sparta
1 hospital in Sparta, 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 Sparta; ≈ 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).
How Sparta adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Sparta 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.
15.3% of Sparta adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Sparta and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta | C | 36.2% | 14.4% | 16.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sparta adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sparta
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sparta is better than North Carolina on 0 and worse on 14; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Sparta’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sparta | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25%21.2–29.4 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.2%14–18.6 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.2%15.2–19.4 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.2%28.8–44 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.4%12.5–16.5 | 12% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.9%36.9–44.9 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.3%35.2–43.3 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.3%29–35.6 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9–11 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.4%8.2–10.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.6%8.7–12.6 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.9%4.2–5.6 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 23.5%19.5–28 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.7%13.8–20 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.1%25–35.5 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.1%11.8–16.6 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.3%25.8–39.3 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.8%13.3–20.5 | 10.4% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.1%76.1–82.1 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56.9%53–60.9 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.6%83.5–87.8 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.9%76.6–81.1 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.1%58.8–69 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.2%65.5–81.7 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.2%21.7–28.8 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.1%26.9–38.1 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.1%18.5–26.4 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.5%14.8–22.6 | 15.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.3%11–15.9 | 12.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.6%7.3–10.3 | 8.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.7%8.2–11.4 | 8.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.3%12.1–19 | 12.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 40%35.1–45.1 | 32% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.7%16.6–23 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.7%15.3–20.6 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.9%9.6–12.2 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.4%6.4–8.7 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.8%9.2–12.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.4%4.6–6.4 | 4% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Sparta
Is Sparta a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sparta is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sparta?
CDC estimates 36.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.8% and 44%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sparta?
Alleghany Memorial Hospital in Sparta, 0.6 miles in a straight line from Sparta’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Sparta have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.3–20.5%), 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 Sparta more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sparta.
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.