Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Wrightsville Beach is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Wrightsville Beach differs from North Carolina on 25 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 23 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wrightsville Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wrightsville Beach
Wrightsville Beach is older than North Carolina, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Wrightsville Beach runs below North Carolina on six chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.1% vs 7.1%), stroke (2.3% vs 3.6%) and diabetes (7.7% vs 12%). That’s despite an older population: 32% of residents are 65 or older (North Carolina 17%). Conditions ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Wrightsville Beach doesn’t win on
19.7% of adults binge drink, vs 14.7% across North Carolina, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Wrightsville Beach is an active town
Only 13.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across North Carolina. Habits ↓
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 Wrightsville Beach’s likely range.
What’s behind Wrightsville Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wrightsville Beach is among the healthiest U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than almost every town); the weakest is obesity, still better than 95%.
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). Wrightsville Beach’s median household income is $151,563; among the 2,630 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($114K–$189K), it’s healthier than 99%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Wrightsville Beach adults…
Wrightsville Beach runs below NC on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Wrightsville Beach is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Carolina. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Wrightsville Beach as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Carolina
Share of adults, with the North Carolina figure marked.
1.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Care in and near Wrightsville Beach
No hospital or community health center in Wrightsville Beach itself. These are the nearest.
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 Wrightsville Beach; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wrightsville Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Wrightsville Beach adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Wrightsville Beach does better than North Carolina.
3 in 10 Wrightsville Beach 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.
2.8% of Wrightsville Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Wrightsville Beach and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrightsville Beach | A+ | 25.3% | 7.7% | 6.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wrightsville Beach adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wrightsville Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wrightsville Beach is better than North Carolina on 23 and worse on 2; on the rest, the North Carolina figure falls inside Wrightsville Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wrightsville Beach | NC | U.S. | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10%8–12.3 | 19% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.5%7.2–10.2 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%10.8–14.9 | 16.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.3%20–31.4 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 7.7%6.4–9.1 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.4%26.6–34.1 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.2%33.1–41.3 | 35.6% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.8%21.7–28 | 26.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.6 | 10.8% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9.1–11.1 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.3–5.8 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.1%3.2–5.1 | 7.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.3%2–2.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.1%3.2–5.2 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.8%4.9–9.1 | 13.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 13.3%10.2–16.8 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 19.7%16.5–23.2 | 14.7% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.1%21.2–31.2 | 34.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.3%3.1–5.9 | 10.4% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.7%77.4–83.8 | 80% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 78.6%75.9–81.3 | 63.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.8%88.9–92.4 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.6%73.4–79.7 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76.3%72.1–80.1 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81%74.3–86.6 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23%19.6–26.6 | 24.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.4%23.8–33.4 | 32.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 15.9%13–19.3 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 4.4%3.1–6 | 15.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 4.2%3.2–5.5 | 12.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 2.9%2.2–3.6 | 8.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.4%2.7–4.3 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 2.8%1.9–4 | 12.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.3%18.5–26.6 | 32% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.1%6.5–9.9 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.4%7.7–11.5 | 14.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.1%5.2–7 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.4%2.1–2.9 | 5.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.4%3.6–5.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.6–2.3 | 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 Wrightsville Beach
Is Wrightsville Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wrightsville Beach is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 99%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wrightsville Beach?
CDC estimates 25.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 20% and 31.4%, against 35.1% across North Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wrightsville Beach?
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, 5.0 miles in a straight line from Wrightsville Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wrightsville Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–5.9%), 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 Wrightsville Beach 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 Wrightsville Beach.
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.