Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Lake Cherokee is healthier than 36%
Lake Cherokee differs from Texas on 22 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lake Cherokee. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lake Cherokee
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Lake Cherokee
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.5%), about twice the Texas rate. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (33.9%), vs 21.6% across Texas. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.7%, vs 5.6% across Texas. In all, Lake Cherokee runs above Texas on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 36% of residents are 65 or older (Texas 13%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Lake Cherokee, and more people treating it
44% of adults have high blood pressure (Texas 33.1%), but 82.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 74.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Lake Cherokee’s lead shrinks
Lake Cherokee is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns, but 36% of the 9,745 towns with similar household incomes ($69K–$115K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Lake Cherokee keeps up with checkups
It beats Texas on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (79.8% vs 73.8%) and dentist visits (60.5% vs 54.6%). Checkups ↓
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 Texas figure falls outside Lake Cherokee’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Lake Cherokee’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Cherokee is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns, #239 of 641 in Texas. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 78% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 14%).
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). Lake Cherokee’s median household income is $91,855; among the 9,745 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($69K–$115K), it’s healthier than 36%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Lake Cherokee adults…
Lake Cherokee runs below TX on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Lake Cherokee is an older town: 36% of residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Lake Cherokee as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lake Cherokee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
Care in and near Lake Cherokee
No hospital or community health center in Lake Cherokee 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 Lake Cherokee; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Lake Cherokee adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Lake Cherokee does better than Texas.
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.
8.5% of Lake Cherokee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Lake Cherokee and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Cherokee | B− | 34.8% | 15.1% | 13% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lake Cherokee adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lake Cherokee
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake Cherokee is better than Texas on 13 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Lake Cherokee’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lake Cherokee | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.5%18.3–22.7 | 21.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%13.4–16.3 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.8–16.7 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.8%28.2–41.5 | 35.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.1%13.4–16.8 | 12.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 44%40.1–47.6 | 33.1% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.1%39.1–46.9 | 35.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.9%30.8–37 | 21.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%9.2–11.3 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.5%10.6–12.5 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.9–9.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.7%7.7–9.7 | 5.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.1–4.8 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.3%8.7–12.3 | 12.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13%11.3–14.7 | 12.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.6%22.1–29.1 | 27.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.6%12.4–17 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.1%30.8–42.6 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.1%8.8–11.5 | 19.1% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.9–82.4 | 73.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.5%57.6–63.9 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.5%89.3–91.5 | 84.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.8%80.6–84.9 | 74.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.3%64.4–72.6 | 57.9% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.4%69.4–81.5 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.3%19.5–25.2 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.6%21–26.3 | 28.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.2%10.2–12.3 | 19.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.7%8.7–10.6 | 16.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%6.1–7.6 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%6.1–7.2 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.5%7.7–9.4 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.6%30.1–37.2 | 30.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.5%15.7–19.5 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%11.5–14.1 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.2%8.3–10.1 | 6.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.6–5.5 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%7.3–8.9 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.9–4.6 | 4% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Texas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Lake Cherokee
Is Lake Cherokee a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Cherokee is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #239 of 641 in Texas. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lake Cherokee?
CDC estimates 34.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.2% and 41.5%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lake Cherokee?
Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, 10.9 miles in a straight line from Lake Cherokee’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lake Cherokee have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.8–11.5%), against 19.1% across Texas.
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 Lake Cherokee more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lake Cherokee.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Texas 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.