Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Folly Beach is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns
Folly Beach differs from South Carolina on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Folly Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Folly Beach
Cancer runs high in Folly Beach
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.5%), vs 8.6% across South Carolina. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (South Carolina 19%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Folly Beach doesn’t win on
19.2% of adults binge drink, vs 15.7% across South Carolina, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Folly Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats South Carolina on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.4% vs 80.6%) and dentist visits (78% vs 63.1%). Checkups ↓
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 Folly Beach’s likely range.
What’s behind Folly Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Folly Beach is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 52%.
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). Folly Beach’s median household income is $102,279; among the 8,238 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 93%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Folly Beach adults…
Folly Beach runs below SC on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Folly Beach is an older town: 39% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across South Carolina. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Folly Beach as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
1.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Folly Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
Care in and near Folly Beach
No hospital or community health center in Folly 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 Folly Beach; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Folly Beach adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Folly Beach does better than South Carolina.
1 in 4 Folly 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.
3.2% of Folly Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Folly Beach and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folly Beach | A | 26.8% | 11.9% | 8.6% | CDC place |
| Charleston | A | 28.7% | 9.5% | 9.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Folly Beach adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Folly Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Folly Beach is better than South Carolina on 22 and worse on 4; on the rest, the South Carolina figure falls inside Folly Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Folly Beach | SC | U.S. | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13%10.8–15.5 | 20.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.5%9.9–13.3 | 14% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.2%9.7–12.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.8%22.9–30.8 | 35.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.3–13.7 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 36.2%32.9–39.6 | 38.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.8%40.3–47.1 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 32.3%29.3–35.4 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 9.6% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.5%12.2–14.7 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.9%6.1–7.9 | 6.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.1–7.6 | 7.5% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3–3.9 | 3.9% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.2%5–7.5 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.6%6.7–10.9 | 13.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.4%14.3–20.9 | 25.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 19.2%16.6–21.8 | 15.7% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 24.6%21.4–28 | 35.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.8%4.4–7.4 | 11.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.4%81–85.6 | 80.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 78%75.7–80.1 | 63.1% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.1%91.8–94.1 | 86.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.5%81.8–86.8 | 80.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 81.3%78.2–84.1 | 69.3% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.7%76.4–86.2 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.2%17.6–23 | 22.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 24.7%21.5–28.2 | 31.7% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 16.7%14.2–19.6 | 23.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.3%4.7–8 | 17.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.1%4.1–6.3 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.5%2.9–4.3 | 8.9% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.7%3.1–4.4 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.2%2.3–4.2 | 10.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.2%20.8–27.9 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.3%10.2–14.6 | 15.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9%7.6–10.5 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.5%6.6–8.5 | 7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%2.9–3.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.5%4.6–6.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.3–3.4 | 4.3% | 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 South Carolina figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Folly Beach
Is Folly Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Folly Beach is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 93%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Folly Beach?
CDC estimates 26.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.9% and 30.8%, against 35.8% across South Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Folly Beach?
Roper Hospital in Charleston, 7.8 miles in a straight line from Folly Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Folly Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–7.4%), 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 Folly 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 Folly 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.