Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Mountain City is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns
Mountain City differs from Tennessee on 20 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 18 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mountain City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mountain City
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Mountain City
1 in 7 adults have COPD (15%), vs 8.6% across Tennessee. 1 in 9 adults have heart disease (11.5%), vs 7% across Tennessee. Stroke is also above the state: 6%, vs 3.7% across Tennessee. In all, Mountain City runs above Tennessee on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Tennessee 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Mountain City is in the bottom 3% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Mountain City is healthier than only 3% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on six of the seven. Health Grade ↓
More Mountain City adults get no exercise
36.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.6% across Tennessee. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Mountain City, and more people treating it
48.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Tennessee 39.5%), but 81.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Mountain City is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Mountain City is healthier than 3%. Against the 2,059 towns with similar household incomes ($29K–$49K), it’s healthier than 21%. Health Grade ↓
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 Mountain City’s likely range.
What’s behind Mountain City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mountain City is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 22% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Mountain City’s median household income is $38,818; among the 2,059 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($29K–$49K), it’s healthier than 21%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Mountain City compares well: binge drinking, 11.8% (U.S. 15.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 81.2% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Mountain City adults…
Mountain City runs above TN on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Mountain City is an older town: 28% 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 Mountain City as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Tennessee
Share of adults, with the Tennessee figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Mountain City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
Care in and near Mountain City
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Mountain City, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Mountain City; ≈ 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 Mountain City 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
21.3% of Mountain City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Tennessee.
Mountain City and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain City | D− | 39.8% | 19% | 22.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mountain City adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mountain City
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mountain City is better than Tennessee on 2 and worse on 18; on the rest, the Tennessee figure falls inside Mountain City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mountain City | TN | U.S. | vs TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 32%27.4–37 | 22.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.8%17.9–23.8 | 14.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.7%18.1–23.4 | 19.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.8%31.2–48.5 | 37.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 19%16.4–21.8 | 13.6% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 48.6%43.7–53.2 | 39.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.8%39.9–49.7 | 38.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 41.7%37.6–45.7 | 30.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.3–13.4 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.4%10.2–12.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.5%10–13.1 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 15%12.6–17.8 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6%5.1–6.9 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 26%21.9–31.5 | 14.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 22.9%19.1–27.1 | 17.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 36.7%30.4–43.1 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.8%9.6–14.4 | 14.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.9%31.4–46.8 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.7%11.5–18.4 | 11.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.1%76.6–83.2 | 78.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 50.7%46.8–55.1 | 58.1% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.3%84.2–88.3 | 86.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.2%78.4–83.6 | 76.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 58%52.8–64.3 | 63.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.1%63–80.3 | 75.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 30.7%26.4–35.4 | 28.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.2%25.3–31 | 27.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21.6%19.8–23.4 | 16.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.8%13.4–16.2 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.4%9.3–11.5 | 9.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.9%10.1–11.8 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.3%19.4–23.4 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 47.4%41.6–53.1 | 35.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 26.3%22.4–30.4 | 16.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.4%18.4–24.6 | 17.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 12.8%11.1–14.5 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8.7%7.3–10.2 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 14.1%11.9–16.4 | 9.5% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.6%5.6–7.9 | 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 Mountain City
Is Mountain City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mountain City is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns: D− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 21%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mountain City?
CDC estimates 39.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.2% and 48.5%, against 37.6% across Tennessee and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mountain City?
Johnson County Community Hospital in Mountain City, 1.4 miles in a straight line from Mountain City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Mountain City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 11.5–18.4%), 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 Mountain City 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 Mountain City.
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.