Dubuisson-Neuhoff House · Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Forest Hills is healthier than 22%
Forest Hills differs from Tennessee on 25 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 24 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forest Hills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forest Hills
Forest Hills is older than Tennessee, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Forest Hills runs below Tennessee on six chronic conditions, most of all COPD (5.1% vs 8.6%), obesity (25.7% vs 37.6%) and stroke (2.7% vs 3.7%). That’s despite an older population: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Tennessee 17%). Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Forest Hills’ lead shrinks
Forest Hills is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns, but 22% of the 436 towns with similar household incomes ($188K–$313K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Forest Hills ranks #3 for health in Tennessee
Out of 176 Tennessee towns with a Health Grade, Forest Hills is #3 on the seven CDC estimates behind it. Nationally it’s healthier than 96% of towns. Health Grade ↓
Forest Hills is an active town
Only 16.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.6% across Tennessee. Habits ↓
Few Forest Hills adults smoke
8% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 17.3% 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 Forest Hills’ likely range.
What’s behind Forest Hills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Hills is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns, #3 of 176 in Tennessee. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 96% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 81%.
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). Forest Hills’ median household income is $250,001; among the 436 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($188K–$313K), it’s healthier than 22%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Forest Hills adults…
Forest Hills runs below TN on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Forest Hills is an older town: 26% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Tennessee. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Forest Hills as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Tennessee
Share of adults, with the Tennessee figure marked.
0.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Forest Hills
No hospital or community health center in Forest Hills 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 Forest Hills; ≈ 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 Forest Hills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
How Forest Hills adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Forest Hills 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.
4.1% of Forest Hills adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Tennessee.
Forest Hills and the towns around it
Forest Hills’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills | A+ | 25.7% | 10% | 8% | CDC place |
| Belle Meade | A+ | 24.9% | 9.7% | 6.8% | CDC place |
| Oak Hill | A+ | 24.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forest Hills adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forest Hills
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forest Hills is better than Tennessee on 24 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Tennessee figure falls inside Forest Hills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forest Hills | TN | U.S. | vs TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.1%10.9–15.3 | 22.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.4%9–12 | 14.9% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.1%11.4–14.9 | 19.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.7%21.5–30.2 | 37.6% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10%8.6–11.6 | 13.6% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 34.8%31.2–38.4 | 39.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.2%37.3–45 | 38.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.6%28.3–34.9 | 30.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.4 | 11% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.2–12.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.1%4.2–6.1 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.4–3 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6%4.8–7.3 | 14.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8%6.2–10 | 17.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.1%13.2–19.1 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.3%13.8–19.1 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.7%24–31.8 | 38.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.7%3.6–6.1 | 11.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.4%77.4–83.1 | 78.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.3%73.8–78.9 | 58.1% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.8%91.6–93.9 | 86.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.9%76.7–82.8 | 76.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.9%67.9–75.8 | 63.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.7%72.3–84.3 | 75.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.6%22.4–28.8 | 28.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.9%18.1–23.7 | 27.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.3%5.5–7 | 16.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.5%4.8–6.2 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 9.1% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4%3.6–4.4 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.1%3.5–4.7 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.6%21.2–28.3 | 35.8% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.4%8.7–12.2 | 16.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.5%8.1–11 | 17.4% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.7%5.9–7.6 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 2.7%2.4–3.1 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.9%4.2–5.7 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.2%1.9–2.5 | 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 Forest Hills
Is Forest Hills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Hills is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #3 of 176 in Tennessee. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forest Hills?
CDC estimates 25.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.5% and 30.2%, against 37.6% across Tennessee and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forest Hills?
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Forest Hills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Forest Hills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.6–6.1%), 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 Forest Hills more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Forest Hills.
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.