Waxhaw Historic District · Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Waxhaw is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Waxhaw differs from North Carolina on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Waxhaw. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Waxhaw
COPD and heart disease are less common in Waxhaw
Waxhaw runs below North Carolina on six chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.2% vs 7.1%), heart disease (4% vs 6.6%) and stroke (2.2% vs 3.6%). A young population is part of it: only 8% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). Conditions ↓
Waxhaw is an active town
Only 17.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
Fewer Waxhaw adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below North Carolina. 1 in 12 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 Waxhaw’s likely range.
What’s behind Waxhaw’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waxhaw is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, #23 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 obesity, still better than 78%.
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). Waxhaw’s median household income is $131,894; among the 4,348 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($99K–$165K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Waxhaw adults…
Waxhaw runs below NC on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 8% of Waxhaw 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.
3 miles of trails across 6 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.
5.8% of Waxhaw adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Care in and near Waxhaw
1 community health center in Waxhaw, 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 Waxhaw; ≈ 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 Waxhaw adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Waxhaw adults are doing
About the same as North Carolina on each measure.
3 in 10 Waxhaw 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.
Waxhaw and the towns around it
Waxhaw’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waxhaw | A | 31.6% | 8.2% | 10% | CDC place |
| Mineral Springs | A− | 33.1% | 10.6% | 11.5% | CDC place |
| Wesley Chapel | A | 31.9% | 9.5% | 10.6% | CDC place |
| Marvin | A+ | 28.8% | 8.6% | 7.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Waxhaw adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Waxhaw
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Waxhaw is better than North Carolina on 19 and worse on 1; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Waxhaw’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Waxhaw | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.5%10.7–14.5 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.7%8.4–11 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%13–16.8 | 16.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.6%24.9–39 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.2%7–9.5 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29.3%25.5–33.4 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.2%28.9–37.6 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.4%18.6–24.4 | 26.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.8–11.3 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.8%6.2–7.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4%3.6–4.5 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.2%3.6–4.7 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.2%2–2.4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.1%5.7–8.7 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10%8.3–11.9 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.3%14.2–21 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17%13.8–20.4 | 14.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.6%25.7–37.3 | 34.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.7%5.5–8 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.4%75.8–82.8 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.6%68.3–74.5 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.8%88.2–91.3 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.3%68.3–76 | 76.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.9%58.7–68.5 | 65.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.4%72.3–85 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24%20.5–27.8 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.2%24.7–34.2 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.4%16.5–22.8 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.6%7.2–10.4 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8%6.8–9.5 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.2%4.4–6 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.2%4.5–6 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.8%4.8–7 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.5%19.1–26.2 | 32% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.5%7.3–9.9 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.3%9.9–12.9 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.9%4.3–5.5 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.4%4.7–6.1 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.1–2.6 | 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 Waxhaw
Is Waxhaw a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waxhaw is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns: A for health, #23 of 289 in North Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Waxhaw?
CDC estimates 31.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.9% and 39%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Waxhaw?
Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center in Charlotte, 9.3 miles in a straight line from Waxhaw’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Waxhaw have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–8%), 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 Waxhaw 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 Waxhaw.
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.