On CDC estimates, Watts Mills is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns
Watts Mills differs from South Carolina on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 22 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Watts Mills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Watts Mills
More Watts Mills adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (42.2%), vs 25.8% across South Carolina. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Watts Mills
46% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.1% across South Carolina. Among those 65 and older, 25.1% have lost all their teeth (South Carolina 13.9%). Watts Mills’ county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Watts Mills
2 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (38.7%), more than twice the South Carolina rate. Utility shut-off threats (18.4% vs 8.9%) and no reliable transportation (17.7% vs 8.6%) are higher too. 27.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.5% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Watts Mills’ likely range.
What’s behind Watts Mills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Watts Mills is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns. All seven of Watts Mills’ estimates fall in the lowest 11% of U.S. towns. The furthest from typical is no exercise: 42.2% of adults, against 25.8% across South Carolina and 24.7% nationally.
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). Watts Mills’ median household income is $50,901; among the 6,103 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$64K), it’s healthier than 2%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Watts Mills compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6% (U.S. 7.9%).
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Watts Mills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
27.9% of Watts Mills adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Out of every 100 Watts Mills adults…
Watts Mills runs below SC on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 5% of Watts Mills residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across South Carolina. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Watts Mills
No hospital or community health center in Watts Mills 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 Watts Mills; ≈ 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 Watts Mills adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Watts Mills runs above South Carolina.
4 in 10 Watts Mills 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.
Watts Mills and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watts Mills | D− | 42.2% | 17.7% | 23.4% | CDC place |
| Laurens | C− | 37.5% | 17.1% | 16.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Watts Mills adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Watts Mills
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Watts Mills is better than South Carolina on 1 and worse on 22; on the rest, the South Carolina figure falls inside Watts Mills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Watts Mills | SC | U.S. | vs SC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 35.6%31.5–39.7 | 20.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.5%17.2–21.9 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.4%19.2–24 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.2%35.8–48.7 | 35.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.7%15.6–19.8 | 13.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.3%36.4–44.2 | 38.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37%33.2–41 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.6%25.7–31.6 | 28.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12.1 | 9.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6%5.4–6.7 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%7–8.7 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.9%9.5–12.3 | 7.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.9%4.5–5.4 | 3.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 25.1%21.4–29.1 | 13.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 23.4%20.2–26.7 | 13.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 42.2%37–47.5 | 25.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.9%11.4–16.5 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.8%33.6–44.4 | 35.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 26.9%23–30.8 | 11.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77%73.3–80.3 | 80.6% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 46%42.5–49.6 | 63.1% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 79%76.3–81.6 | 86.9% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.4%73.5–79.1 | 80.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 56.4%51.6–61.2 | 69.3% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.3%65.1–79 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%21.3–28.3 | 22.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.9%32.2–41.7 | 31.7% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.8%25.1–32.6 | 23.6% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 38.7%34.1–43 | 17.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 27.1%23.7–30.4 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 18.4%16.2–20.7 | 8.9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 17.7%15.6–20 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 27.9%24–31.7 | 10.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 45.3%40.4–50.3 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 22%19.3–24.6 | 15.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 22.9%20.2–25.6 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8%7.1–8.9 | 7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 10.8%9.6–11.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 14.7%12.9–16.4 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 7.7%6.8–8.5 | 4.3% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Watts Mills
Is Watts Mills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Watts Mills is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns: D− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 2%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Watts Mills?
CDC estimates 42.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.8% and 48.7%, against 35.8% across South Carolina and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Watts Mills?
Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital in Clinton, 3.5 miles in a straight line from Watts Mills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Watts Mills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 26.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 23–30.8%), 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 Watts Mills more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to D.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Watts Mills.
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.