Health · Dexter

Dexter, GA health

Dexter differs from Georgia on 15 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (9.2% vs 6.5%) and more adults with heart disease (8.2% vs 6.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Dexter
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Dexter’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Dexter is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns, and than 67% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthC-Physical distressC-Mental distressDObesityDDiabetesC-SmokingDExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 11%
Less healthyHealthier
Georgia towns we grade (384)Healthier than 30%
Towns with similar incomes, $26K–$43K (1,056)Healthier than 67%

Better than its income would suggest. Dexter is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is D.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Dexter 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 Georgia 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 Dexter 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. Dexter 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 Dexter compares with Georgia

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 Dexter adults…

44 of every 100 Dexter adults have high blood pressure
Georgia: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 40.2–47.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dexter, betterDexter, worseToo close to callGeorgia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 33.3% Dexter
GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 38.6% Dexter
GA 38.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.5% Dexter
GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.6% Dexter
GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
GA 78%
58%
Dentist visit
GA 59%
85%
Cholesterol check
GA 87%
67%
Colon screening
GA 64%
75%
Mammogram
GA 76%
79%
Taking BP meds
GA 77%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Dexter 13.9% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Dexter adults are doing

1 in 2Dexter adults feel lonely
42.1% · Georgia 37.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Dexter adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.8% · Georgia 19% · too close to call
1 in 4Dexter adults lack social or emotional support
26.2% · Georgia 24.6% · too close to call
1 in 5Dexter adults are in frequent mental distress
19.2% · Georgia 16.9% · 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 5
Dexter adults worry about having enough food
22% · GA 17.7% · worse
1 in 6
Dexter adults worry about keeping their housing
16.7% · GA 15% · about the same
1 in 9
Dexter adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
11.2% · GA 9.6% · worse
1 in 9
Dexter adults lack reliable transportation
11.7% · GA 9.5% · worse

19.5% of Dexter adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.4%

of Dexter adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.2%
Thinking or memory17.7%
Hearing7.9%
Errands alone11.5%
Vision7.2%
Dressing or bathing5.5%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Dexter

No hospital or community health center in Dexter itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERFairview Park HospitalDublin · 9.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Care SystemsDublin · 9.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.3 mi
Community Health Care Systems
3 sites · nearest in Dublin
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
9.5 mi
Fairview Park Hospital
Dublin · ★★★★★
ER
9.9 mi
Dublin VA Medical Center
Dublin · not rated
ERVA
17.1 mi
Bleckley Memorial Hospital
Cochran · not rated
ERRural critical access
17.4 mi
Careconnect Health
4 sites · nearest in Cochran
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
18.5 mi
Dodge County Hospital
Eastman · not rated
ER
! Primary careDexter's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Laurens County · need score 19 of 25
✓ Dental careDexter is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthDexter is not a shortage area

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 Dexter. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Dexter
MeasureDexterMarginGeorgia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure44.1%40.2–47.7%37.4%worse
High cholesterol37.6%33.8–41.4%36.8%about the same
Obesity42.4%35.9–48.8%35.2%worse
Arthritis29.9%26.8–32.9%24.6%worse
Depression20.8%17.7–24.1%19%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)14.8%12.2–17.9%14.5%about the same
Asthma11.1%9.7–12.4%10.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.1%7.2–8.9%7%worse
Diabetes15.7%13.6–17.6%13.3%worse
COPD9.2%7.8–10.7%6.5%worse
Heart disease8.2%7.2–9.2%6.1%worse
Stroke4.8%4.2–5.4%3.6%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17.6%14.7–20.3%13.6%worse
Binge drink14.5%11.9–17.3%14.5%about the same
Get no exercise33.3%28.5–38.1%26.5%worse
Sleep under 7 hours38.6%33.4–44%38.4%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.5%76.2–82.6%78.4%about the same
Dentist visit58%54.5–61.4%59.2%about the same
Cholesterol check84.8%82.6–87%86.8%about the same
Colon screening67.1%62.6–71.6%64.4%about the same
Mammogram75.4%68.3–81.5%75.8%about the same
Taking BP meds79.4%76.8–81.6%77.4%about the same
No health insurance13.9%11–17.1%13.1%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely42.1%37.2–47.4%37.3%about the same
Lack emotional support26.2%22.5–30%24.6%about the same
Frequent mental distress19.2%16.9–21.5%16.9%about the same
Fair or poor health25.6%22–28.9%20.3%worse
Frequent physical distress16.1%13.9–18.1%13.5%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity22%18.5–26%17.7%worse
Housing insecurity16.7%14.2–19.6%15%about the same
Utility shut-off threat11.2%9.7–13%9.6%worse
No reliable transportation11.7%10–13.7%9.5%worse
Receive SNAP19.5%16.3–23.3%14.2%
Disability
Any disability35.4%30.9–39.8%29.6%
Walking or climbing stairs18.2%15.6–20.8%14%
Thinking or memory17.7%15.3–19.9%14.4%
Hearing7.9%6.9–8.9%6.2%
Vision7.2%6.2–8.1%5.6%
Dressing or bathing5.5%4.8–6.3%4.2%
Errands alone11.5%9.8–13%8.7%
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 Dexter door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Georgia figure falls inside it, we don't call Dexter better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Dexter directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Georgia 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01