Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Garden City is healthier than 86%
Garden City differs from South Carolina on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Garden City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Garden City
Garden City is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Garden City is healthier than 44%. Against the 4,743 towns with similar household incomes ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 86%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Garden City
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (15.1%), vs 8.6% across South Carolina. 1 in 9 adults have heart disease (10.7%), vs 6.8% across South Carolina. COPD is also above the state: 11.2%, vs 7.5% across South Carolina. In all, Garden City runs above South Carolina on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 42% 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 Garden City, and more people treating it
48.3% of adults have high blood pressure (South Carolina 38.5%), but 88% of them take medicine for it, vs 80.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Garden City keeps up with checkups
It beats South Carolina on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85.8% vs 80.6%) and cholesterol checks (91.5% vs 86.9%). 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 Garden City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B.
What’s behind Garden City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Garden City is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns, #68 of 169 in South Carolina. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Garden City’s median household income is $47,249; among the 4,743 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 86%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few South Carolina towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Garden City is healthier than 60% of graded towns, against 44% nationally.
Where Garden City compares well: binge drinking, 12.2% (U.S. 15.4%); sleep under 7 hours, 32% (U.S. 36%); checkup in the past year, 85.8% (U.S. 77.4%).
Out of every 100 Garden City adults…
Garden City runs below SC on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Garden City is an older town: 42% 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 Garden City as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Garden City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
Care in and near Garden City
No hospital or community health center in Garden City 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 Garden City; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
1.9 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
How Garden City adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Garden City does better than South Carolina.
1 in 4 Garden City 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.
6.8% of Garden City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Garden City and the towns around it
Garden City’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden City | C+ | 31.1% | 17.3% | 13.8% | CDC place |
| Surfside Beach | B+ | 29.8% | 13.9% | 12% | CDC place |
| Murrells Inlet | A− | 28% | 14.4% | 9.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Garden City adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Garden City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Garden City is better than South Carolina on 15 and worse on 9; on the rest, the South Carolina figure falls inside Garden City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Garden City | SC | U.S. | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.8%19.3–24.4 | 20.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.5%15.6–19.4 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%13–16.3 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.1%27.2–35 | 35.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 17.3%15.3–19.3 | 13.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 48.3%45–51.5 | 38.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 49%45.8–52.1 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 41.1%38–44 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9%8–10.1 | 9.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 15.1%13.9–16.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.7%9.6–11.8 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.2%9.9–12.7 | 7.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.4%4.9–6 | 3.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12%10–14 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.8%11.8–15.8 | 13.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.6%23.2–30.1 | 25.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.2%10.5–14.1 | 15.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%28.6–35.5 | 35.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.5%8.1–11.1 | 11.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85.8%83.9–87.7 | 80.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.8%62.9–68.5 | 63.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.5%90.4–92.6 | 86.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 88%86.2–89.6 | 80.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.1%71.7–78.1 | 69.3% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.6%71.2–81.2 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.8%18.4–23.3 | 22.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.5%23.5–29.8 | 31.7% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.4%17–22.1 | 23.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.7%10–13.5 | 17.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.7%6.6–8.9 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.2%4.5–6 | 8.9% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%5–6.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.8%5.7–8 | 10.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.7%32.2–39.1 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.7%18.2–23.1 | 15.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.9%11.4–14.4 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.4%10.2–12.7 | 7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.4–6.8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.2%8.1–10.4 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.3–5.4 | 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 Garden City
Is Garden City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Garden City is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #68 of 169 in South Carolina. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Garden City?
CDC estimates 31.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.2% and 35%, against 35.8% across South Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Garden City?
Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, 3.0 miles in a straight line from Garden City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Garden City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.1–11.1%), 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 Garden City 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 Garden City.
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.