Middleton Place · Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0Within South Carolina, Summerville is healthier than 68% of graded towns
Summerville beats South Carolina on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Summerville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Summerville
Summerville is short on primary care and mental health care
Summerville’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Summerville has a five-star hospital
Roper St. Francis Hospital-Berkeley is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Summerville’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Summerville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Summerville is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns, #54 of 169 in South Carolina. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 60% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 36%).
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). Summerville’s median household income is $81,046; among the 10,708 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$101K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Summerville
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Summerville, 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 Summerville; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Summerville adults…
Summerville runs below SC on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
13 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Summerville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
How Summerville adults are doing
About the same as South Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Summerville 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.
9.8% of Summerville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Summerville and the towns around it
Summerville has the best Health Grade of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summerville | B− | 35.6% | 13% | 13.8% | CDC place |
| Lincolnville | C+ | 36.4% | 16.8% | 14.4% | CDC place |
| North Charleston | B− | 35.2% | 13.2% | 14.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Summerville adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Summerville
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Summerville is better than South Carolina on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the South Carolina figure falls inside Summerville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Summerville | SC | U.S. | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.2%17.2–21.2 | 20.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.4–15.2 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%15.1–18.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.6%30.8–40.7 | 35.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%11.6–14.4 | 13.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.6%32.6–38.8 | 38.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.2%33–39.5 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26%23.6–28.5 | 28.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.8–10.9 | 9.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.2%7.6–8.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.2%5.7–6.8 | 6.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.1%6.5–7.8 | 7.5% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.4–3.8 | 3.9% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.5%10.6–14.6 | 13.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.8%12.2–15.4 | 13.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.3%22.1–28.4 | 25.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%14.4–19.4 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.1%32.8–41.7 | 35.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.3%10–12.7 | 11.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.3%77.5–82.8 | 80.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.2%62.4–68 | 63.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%85.3–88.1 | 86.9% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.1%76.7–81.3 | 80.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.9%62.9–70.7 | 69.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%68.7–79.9 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.8%20.1–25.7 | 22.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.5%28–35.3 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.8%20.2–25.6 | 23.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.2%14.4–18 | 17.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13%11.6–14.5 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.7%7.8–9.8 | 8.9% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.4%7.6–9.3 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.8%8.6–11 | 10.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.6%26.5–32.7 | 31.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%12.8–15.8 | 15.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.2%12.9–15.6 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.6%5.9–7.2 | 7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.9–5.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.9–9.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.7–4.3 | 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 Summerville
Is Summerville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Summerville is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #54 of 169 in South Carolina. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 53%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Summerville?
CDC estimates 35.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.8% and 40.7%, against 35.8% across South Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Summerville?
Roper St. Francis Hospital-Berkeley in Summerville, 0.0 miles in a straight line from Summerville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Summerville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10–12.7%), 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 Summerville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Summerville.
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.