Photo: Rbwsc · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Edisto Beach is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns
Edisto Beach differs from South Carolina on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Edisto Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Edisto Beach
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Edisto Beach
1 in 6 adults have had cancer (15.8%), vs 8.6% across South Carolina. 1 in 8 adults have heart disease (11.8%), vs 6.8% across South Carolina. COPD is also above the state: 11.7%, vs 7.5% across South Carolina. In all, Edisto Beach runs above South Carolina on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 48% of residents are 65 or older (South Carolina 19%), and cancer, heart disease and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Edisto Beach, and more people treating it
51% of adults have high blood pressure (South Carolina 38.5%), but 88.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 80.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
The nearest ER is 23 miles from Edisto Beach
The closest emergency room is Beaufort County Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, 22.6 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Fetter Health Care Network is closer (16.9 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
Edisto Beach adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (25.6% vs 31.7%), frequent mental distress (12.4% vs 16.4%) and lack of emotional support (18.7% vs 23.6%) all run below South Carolina. Mind & connection ↓
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 South Carolina figure falls outside Edisto Beach’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Edisto Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Edisto Beach is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 97% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Edisto Beach’s median household income is $85,521; among the 10,344 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$107K), it’s healthier than 31%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Edisto Beach compares well: lost all teeth (ages 65+), 10% (U.S. 12.3%); binge drinking, 10.3% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 86.5% (U.S. 77.4%).
Out of every 100 Edisto Beach adults…
Edisto Beach runs below SC on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Edisto Beach is an older town: 48% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across South Carolina. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Edisto Beach as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Edisto Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
Care in and near Edisto Beach
No hospital or community health center in Edisto 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 Edisto Beach; ≈ 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).
How Edisto Beach adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Edisto Beach does better than South Carolina.
1 in 4 Edisto 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
1.4 miles of trails across 4 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.
6.9% of Edisto Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Edisto Beach and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edisto Beach | C+ | 33.8% | 18.8% | 13.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Edisto Beach adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Edisto Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Edisto Beach is better than South Carolina on 13 and worse on 9; on the rest, the South Carolina figure falls inside Edisto Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Edisto Beach | SC | U.S. | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.6%18.1–27.9 | 20.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%14.1–20.2 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%10.4–14.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.8%27.5–40.4 | 35.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 18.8%15.9–21.9 | 13.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 51%46.2–55.6 | 38.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 47.8%43.1–52.2 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 43.9%39.4–48.1 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.5%8.3–10.8 | 9.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 15.8%14.2–17.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.8%10.1–13.7 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.7%9.1–15 | 7.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.8%4.9–6.9 | 3.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10%8.2–12.1 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.1%9.7–17.1 | 13.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.6%22.7–35 | 25.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 10.3%8.4–12.3 | 15.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.6%25.5–36.2 | 35.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.2%5.7–11.2 | 11.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 86.5%83.8–88.7 | 80.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64%60.7–67.4 | 63.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.3%92–94.4 | 86.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 88.3%86–90.2 | 80.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.6%66.9–76 | 69.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.2%72.7–84.9 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.8%17.6–24 | 22.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 25.6%21.2–30.3 | 31.7% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.7%15.3–22.6 | 23.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.9%8.6–16 | 17.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%5.9–9.5 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.3%4.3–6.5 | 8.9% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%4.5–7 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.9%4.8–9.6 | 10.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.9%29.1–40.8 | 31.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.5%17.3–26.2 | 15.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.7%9.5–14.3 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.9%10.3–13.7 | 7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.1%4.9–7.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%7.1–11.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.2%4.1–6.5 | 4.3% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 South Carolina figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Edisto Beach
Is Edisto Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Edisto Beach is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns: C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 31%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Edisto Beach?
CDC estimates 33.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.5% and 40.4%, against 35.8% across South Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Edisto Beach?
Beaufort County Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, 22.6 miles in a straight line from Edisto Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Edisto Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.7–11.2%), against 11.8% across South 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 Edisto Beach more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Edisto Beach.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South 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.