Southern Railway Spencer Shops · Photo: Ted Abbott · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Spencer is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns
Spencer trails North Carolina on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Spencer. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Spencer
Making ends meet is harder in Spencer
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.6%), vs 15.2% across North Carolina. Utility shut-off threats (10.9% vs 8.1%) and housing insecurity (16% vs 12.2%) are higher too. 18.4% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Spencer adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.8%), vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke run high in Spencer
1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.9%), vs 7.1% across North Carolina. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.4%), vs 3.6% across North Carolina. In all, Spencer runs above North Carolina on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
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 Spencer’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Spencer’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Spencer is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns, #228 of 289 in North Carolina. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 36% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 21%).
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). Spencer’s median household income is $65,465; among the 10,020 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$82K), it’s healthier than 26%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.4% of Spencer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Out of every 100 Spencer adults…
Spencer runs above NC on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Spencer
1 community health center in Spencer, 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 Spencer; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Spencer adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Spencer adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Spencer 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.
Spencer and the towns around it
Spencer’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | C− | 39.6% | 14.2% | 17.3% | CDC place |
| Salisbury | C− | 39.6% | 14.6% | 16% | CDC place |
| East Spencer | D | 44.2% | 17.1% | 17.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Spencer adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Spencer
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Spencer is better than North Carolina on 0 and worse on 13; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Spencer’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Spencer | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.8%20.5–27.3 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.1–17 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%15.9–20.3 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.6%32.1–47.8 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.2%12.3–16.2 | 12% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.2%36.1–44.7 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.8%32.6–41.4 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30%26.7–33.6 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.7%10.4–13.2 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.8–8.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.6–8.3 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.9%7.6–10.3 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%4–4.9 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.9%11.2–16.9 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.3%14.7–20.3 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.8%25–34.8 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11–16.4 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.7%27.4–40.7 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.7%10.5–15.2 | 10.4% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.4%77.1–83.7 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.6%53.8–61.4 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.8–88.5 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.4%74.6–80.2 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.8%58.5–69 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.1%70.8–84.6 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24%20.6–27.8 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.7%28.6–39.2 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.5%20.9–28.6 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.6%17.4–24.1 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16%13.7–18.6 | 12.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.9%9.4–12.6 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.8%9.4–12.4 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.4%15.4–21.5 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 38%33.2–42.9 | 32% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.9%15.4–20.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.5%15.2–19.9 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6.1–7.8 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.3%9–11.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.3%4.6–6 | 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 Spencer
Is Spencer a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Spencer is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #228 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 26%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Spencer?
CDC estimates 39.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.1% and 47.8%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Spencer?
Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury, 3.0 miles in a straight line from Spencer’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Spencer have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.5–15.2%), 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 Spencer 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 Spencer.
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.