Health · Fort Oglethorpe

Fort Oglethorpe, GA health

Fort Oglethorpe differs from Georgia on 9 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (6.8% vs 9.6%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (10.9% vs 15%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.1% vs 7%).

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

Fort Oglethorpe’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Fort Oglethorpe is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns, and than 75% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthCPhysical distressB-Mental distressB+ObesityCDiabetesB-SmokingCExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 39%
Less healthyHealthier
Georgia towns we grade (384)Healthier than 62%
Towns with similar incomes, $39K–$65K (5,908)Healthier than 75%

Better than its income would suggest. Fort Oglethorpe is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Fort Oglethorpe could be anywhere from D to B+.
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 Fort Oglethorpe 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. Fort Oglethorpe 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 Fort Oglethorpe 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 Fort Oglethorpe adults…

39 of every 100 Fort Oglethorpe adults have high blood pressure
Georgia: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.7–42.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Fort Oglethorpe, betterFort Oglethorpe, worseToo close to callGeorgia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.1% Fort Oglethorpe
GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36.1% Fort Oglethorpe
GA 38.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.2% Fort Oglethorpe
GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15% Fort Oglethorpe
GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
GA 78%
60%
Dentist visit
GA 59%
87%
Cholesterol check
GA 87%
68%
Colon screening
GA 64%
77%
Mammogram
GA 76%
80%
Taking BP meds
GA 77%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Fort Oglethorpe 11.7% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Fort Oglethorpe adults are doing

1 in 3Fort Oglethorpe adults feel lonely
36.4% · Georgia 37.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Fort Oglethorpe adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.1% · Georgia 19% · too close to call
1 in 5Fort Oglethorpe adults lack social or emotional support
21.8% · Georgia 24.6% · too close to call
1 in 6Fort Oglethorpe adults are in frequent mental distress
17.4% · 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 7
Fort Oglethorpe adults worry about having enough food
13.8% · GA 17.7% · better
1 in 9
Fort Oglethorpe adults worry about keeping their housing
10.9% · GA 15% · better
1 in 15
Fort Oglethorpe adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.8% · GA 9.6% · better
1 in 13
Fort Oglethorpe adults lack reliable transportation
7.8% · GA 9.5% · better

10.9% of Fort Oglethorpe adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.7%
Thinking or memory15.3%
Hearing8.8%
Errands alone9.6%
Vision5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.2%

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

Around Fort Oglethorpe

Fort Oglethorpe and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Fort Oglethorpe.

Lakeview: 35.5% Fairview: 39.1% East Ridge: 35.6% Rossville: 40.2% Chattanooga Valley: 39.3% Fort Oglethorpe: 34% Fort Oglethorpe Lakeview Fairview Commonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North Georgia · Ringgold · 3.3 mi · 3★ MedicareH Primary Healthcare Center, Mitchell Road · Fort Oglethorpe · 1.5 mi+ Chs Chattanooga · Chattanooga · 5.6 mi+
34%40.2%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#1 of 6towns on this map, healthiest first
Fort Oglethorpe34%
Lakeview35.5%
Fairview39.1%
6 places to get careNearest ER 3.3 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Fort Oglethorpe

1 community health center in Fort Oglethorpe, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERCommonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North GeorgiaRinggold · 3.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMemorial Healthcare System★★★★★ · 7.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePrimary Health Care Center of DadeFort Oglethorpe · 1.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.5 mi
Primary Health Care Center of Dade
2 sites · nearest in Fort Oglethorpe
Sliding-scale feesIn Fort Oglethorpe
Directions to nearest
3.3 mi
Commonspirit-Memorial Hospital-North Georgia
Ringgold · ★★★★★
ER
5.6 mi
Chs Chattanooga
Chattanooga · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
7.2 mi
Parkridge Medical Center
Chattanooga · ★★★★★
ER
7.5 mi
Memorial Healthcare System
Chattanooga · ★★★★★
8.4 mi
Erlanger Medical Center
Chattanooga · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careFort Oglethorpe's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Walker County · need score 16 of 25
! Dental careFort Oglethorpe's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Walker County · need score 15 of 25
✓ Mental healthFort Oglethorpe 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 Fort Oglethorpe. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Fort Oglethorpe
MeasureFort OglethorpeMarginGeorgia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure38.7%34.7–42.7%37.4%about the same
High cholesterol40.4%36.1–44.6%36.8%about the same
Obesity34%27.2–41.1%35.2%about the same
Arthritis30.3%27–33.5%24.6%worse
Depression21.1%17.8–24.4%19%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)15.4%12.8–18.3%14.5%about the same
Asthma10.2%9–11.4%10.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.1%9.2–11.1%7%worse
Diabetes13.7%11.9–15.5%13.3%about the same
COPD8.6%7.6–9.6%6.5%worse
Heart disease7.9%7.1–8.7%6.1%worse
Stroke4.2%3.8–4.5%3.6%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15%13–17.1%13.6%about the same
Binge drink14.2%11.6–17%14.5%about the same
Get no exercise28.1%23.7–32.4%26.5%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours36.1%29.9–42.6%38.4%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup78.8%75.1–81.9%78.4%about the same
Dentist visit60%56.6–63.5%59.2%about the same
Cholesterol check86.8%85.1–88.4%86.8%about the same
Colon screening67.6%62.7–72.2%64.4%about the same
Mammogram76.5%69.3–82.7%75.8%about the same
Taking BP meds80.1%77.4–82.4%77.4%about the same
No health insurance11.7%10–13.6%13.1%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely36.4%31.3–41.7%37.3%about the same
Lack emotional support21.8%18.6–25.1%24.6%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.4%15.4–19.3%16.9%about the same
Fair or poor health21.1%18.4–23.8%20.3%about the same
Frequent physical distress15.3%13.5–17%13.5%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity13.8%11.8–15.9%17.7%better
Housing insecurity10.9%9.3–12.5%15%better
Utility shut-off threat6.8%5.9–7.8%9.6%better
No reliable transportation7.8%6.8–8.7%9.5%better
Receive SNAP10.9%9.3–12.6%14.2%
Disability
Any disability34.9%30.6–39%29.6%
Walking or climbing stairs16.7%14.6–18.8%14%
Thinking or memory15.3%13.6–17.1%14.4%
Hearing8.8%7.8–9.8%6.2%
Vision5.6%5–6.1%5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.2%3.8–4.6%4.2%
Errands alone9.6%8.6–10.7%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 Fort Oglethorpe door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Georgia figure falls inside it, we don't call Fort Oglethorpe better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Fort Oglethorpe 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