Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Falling Water is healthier than 36%
Falling Water differs from Tennessee on 14 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Falling Water. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Falling Water
Against towns with similar incomes, Falling Water’s lead shrinks
Falling Water is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, but 36% of the 6,881 towns with similar household incomes ($84K–$140K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Falling Water keeps up with checkups
It beats Tennessee on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (66.1% vs 58.1%) and cholesterol checks (90.3% vs 86.6%). Checkups ↓
Cancer runs high in Falling Water
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.3%), vs 8.2% across Tennessee. Conditions ↓
Falling Water is an active town
Only 19.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.6% across Tennessee. Habits ↓
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 Falling Water’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Falling Water’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Falling Water is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 84% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 49%).
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). Falling Water’s median household income is $111,842; among the 6,881 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($84K–$140K), it’s healthier than 36%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Keeping up with care
Share of Falling Water adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
Everyday habits, side by side with Tennessee
Share of adults, with the Tennessee figure marked.
2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Out of every 100 Falling Water adults…
Falling Water runs below TN on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Falling Water
No hospital or community health center in Falling Water 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 Falling Water; ≈ 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 Falling Water adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Falling Water does better than Tennessee.
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.
7% of Falling Water adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Tennessee.
Falling Water and the towns around it
Falling Water’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling Water | B+ | 32.5% | 12.1% | 14.9% | CDC place |
| Soddy-Daisy | C+ | 33.5% | 12.6% | 16.9% | CDC place |
| Chattanooga | C | 36.3% | 13.9% | 16.7% | CDC place |
| Walden | A | 29% | 10.1% | 10.3% | CDC place |
| Mowbray Mountain | C+ | 34.2% | 14.1% | 17.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Falling Water adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Falling Water
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Falling Water is better than Tennessee on 13 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Tennessee figure falls inside Falling Water’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Falling Water | TN | U.S. | vs TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.3%15.4–21.7 | 22.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%11.8–15.7 | 14.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.4–18.7 | 19.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.5%28.1–37.2 | 37.6% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 12.1%10.4–13.9 | 13.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.9%35.4–42.5 | 39.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.7%36.2–43.3 | 38.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.3%29.3–35.6 | 30.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.5–12 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.3%9.3–11.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.2–8.2 | 7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.9%6.5–9.5 | 8.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3–4 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.5%11.1–16.3 | 14.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.9%11.9–18.3 | 17.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.9%16.4–23.8 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15%12.7–17.6 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.5%30.1–39 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.1%6.1–10.3 | 11.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79%76–81.9 | 78.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.1%62.8–69.2 | 58.1% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.3%88.7–91.8 | 86.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%74.7–80.5 | 76.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.7%64.4–72.8 | 63.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.1%66.8–80.7 | 75.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.9%23.9–30.2 | 28.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.4%19.5–25.5 | 27.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 16.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.3%7.3–9.4 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5–6.6 | 9.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7%6.1–8 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.4%26.4–34.8 | 35.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.9%11.7–16.5 | 16.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.3%12.3–16.7 | 17.4% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8%6.9–9.1 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.5–4.8 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.5%6.3–8.8 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.8–4 | 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 Falling Water
Is Falling Water a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Falling Water is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Falling Water?
CDC estimates 32.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.1% and 37.2%, against 37.6% across Tennessee and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Falling Water?
Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, 10.4 miles in a straight line from Falling Water’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Falling Water have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–10.3%), 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 Falling Water 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 Falling Water.
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.