Health · Cherokee

Cherokee, AL health

Cherokee differs from Alabama on 11 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (11.2% vs 8%) and more adults who have had a stroke (5.5% vs 4.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Cherokee

DHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Cherokee’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Cherokee is healthier than 9% of U.S. towns.

DSelf-rated healthDPhysical distressCMental distressC-ObesityDDiabetesDSmokingDExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 9%

Less healthyHealthier

Alabama towns we grade (319)Healthier than 26%

Towns with similar incomes, $38K–$64K (5,613)Healthier than 19%

About what its income would suggest. Cherokee does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Cherokee could be anywhere from D− to C+.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Alabama ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Cherokee with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Cherokee uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Cherokee compares with Alabama

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Cherokee adults…

49 of every 100 Cherokee adults have high blood pressure

Alabama: 43 in 100 · worse · margin 44.4–53.3%

Bars show Cherokee; the black tick is Alabama. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Cherokee, betterCherokee, worseToo close to callAlabama

Get no exerciseshare of adults 33.4% Cherokee
AL 28.7%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 41.6% Cherokee
AL 39.1%

Binge drinkshare of adults 12.9% Cherokee
AL 14.1%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 19.3% Cherokee
AL 15.1%

0%10%20%30%40%50%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Cherokee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.

Yearly checkup

AL 80%

Dentist visit

AL 57%

Cholesterol check

AL 86%

Colon screening

AL 67%

Mammogram

AL 78%

Taking BP meds

AL 78%

1 in 9

working-age adults has no health insurance

Cherokee 10.9% · Alabama 1 in 10 (9.9%)

Mind & connection

How Cherokee adults are doing

1 in 3Cherokee adults feel lonely

35.1% · Alabama 35.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Cherokee adults have been diagnosed with depression

25.1% · Alabama 23.3% · too close to call

1 in 4Cherokee adults lack social or emotional support

25.5% · Alabama 24.8% · too close to call

1 in 5Cherokee adults are in frequent mental distress

18.5% · Alabama 17.2% · too close to call

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 4

Cherokee adults worry about having enough food

22.6% · AL 19.2% · about the same

1 in 7

Cherokee adults worry about keeping their housing

15.3% · AL 13.9% · about the same

1 in 9

Cherokee adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

11.1% · AL 9.6% · about the same

1 in 9

Cherokee adults lack reliable transportation

11.2% · AL 9.8% · about the same

18.3% of Cherokee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.

Disability

Living with a disability

42.9%

of Cherokee adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs22.5%

Thinking or memory18.5%

Hearing10.5%

Errands alone12.4%

Vision7.8%

Dressing or bathing6.2%

Black tick: Alabama. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Cherokee

Cherokee and the towns around it

Care nearby

Tishomingo Health ServicesIuka · 14.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Helen Keller HospitalSheffield · 15.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

North Alabama Shoals HospitalMuscle Shoals · 16.4 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Russellville HospitalRussellville · 17.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Family Health Care Clinic, Inc. --FlorenceFlorence · 16.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Tishomingo Health Care AssociatesTishomingo · 17.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careCherokee's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Colbert County · need score 17 of 25

✓ Dental careCherokee is not a shortage area

! Mental healthCherokee's county is a federal shortage area.Riverbend Center MHCA 1 - Colbert/Franklin/Lauderdale Counties · need score 12 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Cherokee. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Cherokee

Measure	Cherokee	Margin	Alabama
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	48.8%	44.4–53.3%	43.3%	worse
High cholesterol	44.1%	39.6–48.9%	40.7%	about the same
Obesity	40.6%	32.7–48.9%	39.4%	about the same
Arthritis	36.4%	32.7–40.2%	30.3%	worse
Depression	25.1%	21.5–28.9%	23.3%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	19.9%	16.3–23.7%	15.4%	worse
Asthma	10.9%	9.6–12.3%	10%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.2%	8.3–10.2%	8.2%	worse
Diabetes	18.2%	15.9–20.5%	14.8%	worse
COPD	11.2%	9.6–13%	8%	worse
Heart disease	9.6%	8.5–10.9%	7.3%	worse
Stroke	5.5%	4.9–6.1%	4.1%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	19.3%	16.1–22.6%	15.1%	worse
Binge drink	12.9%	10.5–15.6%	14.1%	about the same
Get no exercise	33.4%	28–39.2%	28.7%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	41.6%	34.4–48.9%	39.1%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.1%	77.7–84.2%	80.4%	about the same
Dentist visit	52.9%	48.7–57%	56.9%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.3%	83–87.5%	85.8%	about the same
Colon screening	63.8%	58.2–68.9%	67%	about the same
Mammogram	74.6%	66.7–81.5%	77.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	80.5%	77.9–82.8%	78%	about the same
No health insurance	10.9%	8.4–13.5%	9.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	35.1%	29.7–40.6%	35.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	25.5%	21.6–29.6%	24.8%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.5%	16.2–20.8%	17.2%	about the same
Fair or poor health	28.5%	24.5–32.8%	22.8%	worse
Frequent physical distress	17.5%	15.2–19.9%	14.2%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	22.6%	18.8–26.5%	19.2%	about the same
Housing insecurity	15.3%	12.9–17.7%	13.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	11.1%	9.5–12.8%	9.6%	about the same
No reliable transportation	11.2%	9.6–12.9%	9.8%	about the same
Receive SNAP	18.3%	15.1–21.7%	14%
Disability
Any disability	42.9%	37.6–48.2%	36.5%
Walking or climbing stairs	22.5%	19.4–25.7%	17.1%
Thinking or memory	18.5%	15.9–21.2%	16.1%
Hearing	10.5%	9.3–11.8%	8.2%
Vision	7.8%	6.9–8.9%	6%
Dressing or bathing	6.2%	5.4–7.1%	4.6%
Errands alone	12.4%	10.7–14.2%	9.8%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Cherokee door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Alabama figure falls inside it, we don't call Cherokee better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Cherokee directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alabama figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.