Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Dresden is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns
Dresden differs from Tennessee on 12 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Dresden. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Dresden
Dresden is in the bottom 6% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Dresden is healthier than only 6% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on six of the seven. Health Grade ↓
COPD and stroke run high in Dresden
1 in 8 adults have COPD (11.8%), vs 8.6% across Tennessee. 1 in 22 adults have had a stroke (4.6%), vs 3.7% across Tennessee. In all, Dresden runs above Tennessee on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Tennessee 17%), and COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Dresden adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32%), vs 26.6% across Tennessee. Habits ↓
Fewer Dresden adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Tennessee. 1 in 8 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 Dresden’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Dresden’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dresden is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns, #142 of 176 in Tennessee. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 15% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Dresden’s median household income is $51,000; among the 6,132 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$64K), it’s healthier than 12%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Dresden compares well: worried about having enough food, 12.3% (U.S. 15%); worried about keeping housing, 9.9% (U.S. 12%).
Out of every 100 Dresden adults…
Dresden runs above TN on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Dresden is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Tennessee. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Dresden as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Tennessee
Share of adults, with the Tennessee figure marked.
0.5 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10% of Dresden adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Tennessee.
Care in and near Dresden
No hospital or community health center in Dresden 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 Dresden; ≈ 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 Dresden adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
How Dresden 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.
Dresden and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden | D | 41.1% | 15.5% | 22.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Dresden adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Dresden
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Dresden is better than Tennessee on 4 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Tennessee figure falls inside Dresden’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Dresden | TN | U.S. | vs TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.1%23.3–31.3 | 22.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.5–20.4 | 14.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.5%18.9–24.2 | 19.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.1%33.4–49.4 | 37.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.5%13.4–17.9 | 13.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 41.8%37.5–46.3 | 39.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.3%35.9–45 | 38.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.5%30.8–38.2 | 30.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.1–13.1 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.2–10.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.6–9.8 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.8%10–13.7 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.6%4–5.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.3%13.7–20.5 | 14.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 22.1%18.5–25.9 | 17.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32%26.7–37.7 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.1–16.4 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.4%31.7–46 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13.4%10.8–16.8 | 11.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.6%73.9–81.1 | 78.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.7%53.5–61.2 | 58.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.8%82.3–87.1 | 86.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.8%75–80.5 | 76.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.6%53.6–64.5 | 63.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73%63.7–79.9 | 75.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 30.4%26.3–34.9 | 28.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.5%21–28.1 | 27.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.3%10.9–13.8 | 16.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.9%8.6–11.2 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.9–7.8 | 9.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6.5–8 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10%8.7–11.4 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 42%36.8–47.6 | 35.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.4%17.5–23.7 | 16.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 20.8%18.1–23.8 | 17.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.5%8.4–10.8 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6–7.9 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.2%10.5–14 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.2%4.5–6 | 4.1% | 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 Tennessee figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Dresden
Is Dresden a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dresden is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns: D for health, #142 of 176 in Tennessee. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 12%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Dresden?
CDC estimates 41.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.4% and 49.4%, against 37.6% across Tennessee and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Dresden?
Volunteer Community Hospital in Martin, 10.1 miles in a straight line from Dresden’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Dresden have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.8–16.8%), 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 Dresden more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Dresden.
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.