Photo: Rysnap1024 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Wake Forest is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Wake Forest beats North Carolina on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wake Forest. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wake Forest
COPD and heart disease are less common in Wake Forest
Wake Forest runs below North Carolina on six chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.7% vs 7.1%), heart disease (4.7% vs 6.6%) and stroke (2.6% vs 3.6%). A young population is part of it: only 13% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). Conditions ↓
Wake Forest is an active town
Only 16.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across North Carolina. The town has 23 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Fewer Wake Forest adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below North Carolina. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Wake Forest’s likely range.
What’s behind Wake Forest’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wake Forest is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, #20 of 289 in North Carolina. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 97% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 83%.
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). Wake Forest’s median household income is $123,802; among the 5,192 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($93K–$155K), it’s healthier than 89%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Wake Forest adults…
Wake Forest runs below NC on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Wake Forest residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
23 miles of trails across 15 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.
6.8% of Wake Forest adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Care in and near Wake Forest
2 community health centers in Wake Forest, 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 Wake Forest; ≈ 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 Wake Forest adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Wake Forest adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Wake Forest does better than North Carolina.
3 in 10 Wake Forest 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.
Wake Forest and the towns around it
Wake Forest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest | A | 29.5% | 9.1% | 9.5% | CDC place |
| Rolesville | A+ | 30.1% | 8.9% | 9% | CDC place |
| Raleigh | A | 30.9% | 9.1% | 10.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wake Forest adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wake Forest
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wake Forest is better than North Carolina on 20 and worse on 0; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Wake Forest’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wake Forest | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.1%11.5–14.8 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.5%8.4–10.7 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%13.2–16.6 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.5%25.3–34 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.1%7.9–10.3 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 32.2%29.1–35.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.3%31–37.7 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.7%20.2–25.2 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.3–11.7 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.9–8.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.7%4.1–5.3 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.7%7.1–10.6 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.5%8.2–10.9 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.9%14.4–19.5 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.3%13–17.9 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31%27.2–35.1 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.9%5.9–7.9 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.7%77.8–83.3 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72%69.2–74.6 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90%88.6–91.2 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.5%71.3–77.5 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.1%61.9–70.2 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.2%73.2–84.4 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%21.3–27.4 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.6%27–34.6 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.3%16.8–22.1 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.1%7.9–10.6 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.3%7.2–9.6 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.5%4.8–6.3 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%5–6.4 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.8%5.8–7.9 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.6%20.8–26.5 | 32% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.7%8.5–11 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%10.3–13.1 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.5%3.2–3.8 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.8%5.2–6.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 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 Wake Forest
Is Wake Forest a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wake Forest is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns: A for health, #20 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 89%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wake Forest?
CDC estimates 29.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.3% and 34%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wake Forest?
Wakemed, Raleigh Campus in Raleigh, 13.0 miles in a straight line from Wake Forest’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wake Forest have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–7.9%), 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 Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest.
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.