Coolmore Plantation · Photo: Thomas T. Waterman, Photographer · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Tarboro is healthier than 50%
Tarboro differs from North Carolina on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 16 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Tarboro. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Tarboro
Stroke, diabetes and COPD run high in Tarboro
1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.5%), vs 3.6% across North Carolina. 1 in 6 adults have diabetes (16.8%), vs 12% across North Carolina. COPD is also above the state: 9.7%, vs 7.1% across North Carolina. In all, Tarboro runs above North Carolina on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%), and stroke, diabetes and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Tarboro
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (22%), vs 15.2% across North Carolina. Utility shut-off threats (12% vs 8.1%) and housing insecurity (16.7% vs 12.2%) are higher too. 20.4% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Tarboro adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.4%), vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
Tarboro is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Tarboro is healthier than 21%. Against the 5,724 towns with similar household incomes ($37K–$62K), it’s healthier than 50%. 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 Tarboro’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Tarboro’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tarboro is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns, #235 of 289 in North Carolina. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 53% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 7%).
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). Tarboro’s median household income is $49,796; among the 5,724 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($37K–$62K), it’s healthier than 50%, about where its income would put it.
Where Tarboro compares well: binge drinking, 11.1% (U.S. 15.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 81.7% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Tarboro adults…
Tarboro runs above NC on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Tarboro 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 Tarboro as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
20.4% of Tarboro 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.
3.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Care in and near Tarboro
1 hospital in Tarboro, 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 Tarboro; ≈ 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 Tarboro adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Tarboro adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Tarboro 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.
Tarboro and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarboro | C− | 41.2% | 16.8% | 15.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Tarboro adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Tarboro
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Tarboro is better than North Carolina on 2 and worse on 16; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Tarboro’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Tarboro | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.2%21.9–28.6 | 19% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.5–17.6 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%14.8–19 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.2%32.8–50 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 16.8%14.5–19.2 | 12% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 47.1%42.5–51.8 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.4%33.6–42.9 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.8%30–37.6 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.6–13.6 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.9%8–9.7 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.7%8.4–11 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.5%5–6 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.5%17–24.3 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.8%13.5–18.4 | 13.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 31.4%26.3–36.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.1%8.8–13.5 | 14.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.6%29–42.7 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.7%9.8–13.7 | 10.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.3%80–86 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.5%51.6–59.3 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.9%87.3–90.4 | 87.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.7%79–84 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68%63–72.8 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80%73.2–85.8 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.4%18.8–26.1 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.3%28.6–37.9 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.2%21.8–28.7 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 22%19.1–25 | 15.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.7%14.5–18.9 | 12.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12%10.4–13.5 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.4%10–12.8 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 20.4%17.6–23.4 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.1%34.1–44.1 | 32% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21%18.3–23.8 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.5%14.3–18.6 | 14.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.8%7–8.7 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.1%9.8–12.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6%5.4–6.7 | 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 Tarboro
Is Tarboro a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tarboro is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #235 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 Tarboro?
CDC estimates 41.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.8% and 50%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Tarboro?
Vidant Edgecombe Hospital in Tarboro, 1.2 miles in a straight line from Tarboro’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Tarboro have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.8–13.7%), 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 Tarboro 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 Tarboro.
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.