Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Chapel Hill is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns
Chapel Hill beats Tennessee on 7 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Chapel Hill. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Chapel Hill
Fewer Chapel Hill adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing and getting around all run below Tennessee. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Stroke and diabetes are less common in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill runs below Tennessee on stroke (3.1% vs 3.7%), diabetes (11.4% vs 13.6%) and heart disease (5.9% vs 7%). Conditions ↓
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 Tennessee figure falls outside Chapel Hill’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
What’s behind Chapel Hill’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chapel Hill is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 64% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Chapel Hill’s median household income is $75,441; among the 10,836 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($57K–$94K), it’s healthier than 45%, about where its income would put it.
Where Chapel Hill compares well: worried about having enough food, 12.6% (U.S. 15%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11% of Chapel Hill adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Tennessee.
Out of every 100 Chapel Hill adults…
Chapel Hill runs below TN on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Chapel Hill
No hospital or community health center in Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill; ≈ 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 Tennessee
Share of adults, with the Tennessee figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Chapel Hill adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
How Chapel Hill adults are doing
About the same as Tennessee on each measure.
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.
Chapel Hill and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | C+ | 37.9% | 11.4% | 16.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Chapel Hill adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Chapel Hill
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Chapel Hill is better than Tennessee on 7 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Tennessee figure falls inside Chapel Hill’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Chapel Hill | TN | U.S. | vs TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.2%16–22.8 | 22.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.1–16.2 | 14.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.7%17.2–22.4 | 19.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.9%29.9–46.5 | 37.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.4%9.8–13.2 | 13.6% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 36.4%32.2–40.7 | 39.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37%32.6–41.5 | 38.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.4%25.9–32.9 | 30.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.9%9.6–12.4 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.3%7.5–9.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.2–6.8 | 7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 7.6%6.3–9.1 | 8.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.7–3.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18%14.5–21.7 | 14.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.6%13.4–20 | 17.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.5%19–28.3 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13–19.4 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38%30.9–45.3 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.9%7.7–12.6 | 11.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.3%72.1–80 | 78.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60%56.1–63.8 | 58.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%84.3–88.8 | 86.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.4%71.2–77.3 | 76.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.6%56.4–66.7 | 63.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.8%61.7–78.6 | 75.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 30.7%26.5–35 | 28.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25%21.5–28.8 | 27.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.6%11.2–14.3 | 16.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.1%9.7–12.6 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.8%6.8–8.9 | 9.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.4%6.6–8.2 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11%9.6–12.6 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.9%28.2–38.1 | 35.8% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.7%11.4–16.2 | 16.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.8%14.2–19.5 | 17.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.9%6–7.9 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.7–5 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.4%7–9.8 | 9.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.8–3.9 | 4.1% | 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 Tennessee figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Chapel Hill
Is Chapel Hill a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chapel Hill is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 45%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Chapel Hill?
CDC estimates 37.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 46.5%, against 37.6% across Tennessee and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Chapel Hill?
Marshall Medical Center in Lewisburg, 12.4 miles in a straight line from Chapel Hill’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Chapel Hill have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.7–12.6%), against 11.6% across Tennessee.
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 Chapel Hill more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Chapel Hill.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Tennessee 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.