On CDC estimates, Collegedale is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Collegedale differs from Tennessee on 18 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Collegedale. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Collegedale
Collegedale is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Collegedale is healthier than 76%. Against the 10,531 towns with similar household incomes ($53K–$88K), it’s healthier than 92%. Health Grade ↓
Diabetes and COPD are less common in Collegedale
Collegedale runs below Tennessee on seven chronic conditions, most of all diabetes (9.7% vs 13.6%), COPD (6.2% vs 8.6%) and obesity (29% vs 37.6%). Conditions ↓
Collegedale is an active town
Only 19.5% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.6% across Tennessee. The town has 48 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Fewer Collegedale adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Tennessee. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults 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 Tennessee figure falls outside Collegedale’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Collegedale’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Collegedale is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #17 of 176 in Tennessee. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 87% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 25%).
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). Collegedale’s median household income is $70,246; among the 10,531 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($53K–$88K), it’s healthier than 92%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Collegedale adults…
Collegedale runs below TN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Tennessee
Share of adults, with the Tennessee figure marked.
48 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.8% of Collegedale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Tennessee.
Care in and near Collegedale
No hospital or community health center in Collegedale 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 Collegedale; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Collegedale adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
How Collegedale 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.
Collegedale and the towns around it
Collegedale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegedale | A− | 29% | 9.7% | 11.9% | CDC place |
| Apison | B | 33% | 12.1% | 14.7% | CDC place |
| Chattanooga | C | 36.3% | 13.9% | 16.7% | CDC place |
| Ooltewah | — | — | — | — |
Ooltewah: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Collegedale adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Collegedale
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Collegedale is better than Tennessee on 17 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Tennessee figure falls inside Collegedale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Collegedale | TN | U.S. | vs TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.4%15.3–19.7 | 22.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.9%10.6–13.4 | 14.9% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.5–20.8 | 19.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29%25–33.4 | 37.6% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.7%8.5–11 | 13.6% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.3%28.6–34.3 | 39.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.9%30–36 | 38.3% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 24.5%22.3–26.8 | 30.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–11.9 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.7%7–8.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.2%5.4–7.1 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13%10.7–15.7 | 14.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.9%10.3–13.8 | 17.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.5%16.8–22.6 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%14.1–19.3 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.8%30.4–39.4 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.7%9–12.7 | 11.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.4%72.2–78.6 | 78.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.1%62.8–69.3 | 58.1% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.5%82.2–86.6 | 86.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.1%70.8–75.3 | 76.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.4%63.1–71.6 | 63.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.7%70.2–82.5 | 75.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.1%23.9–30.5 | 28.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.7%21.5–27.9 | 27.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11%9.8–12.3 | 16.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.7%8.6–10.9 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.3%5.4–7.1 | 9.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6.5–7.9 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.8%6.8–8.7 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.8%27.4–34.6 | 35.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.8%10.4–13.3 | 16.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.6%14.7–18.9 | 17.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%6.1–7.6 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%7–9 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.6–3.2 | 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 Collegedale
Is Collegedale a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Collegedale is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #17 of 176 in Tennessee. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 92%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Collegedale?
CDC estimates 29% of adults have obesity, likely between 25% and 33.4%, against 37.6% across Tennessee and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Collegedale?
Commonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North Georgia in Ringgold, 11.5 miles in a straight line from Collegedale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Collegedale have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9–12.7%), 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 Collegedale more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Collegedale.
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.