Health · St. Simons

St. Simons, GA health

St. Simons differs from Georgia on 24 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (6.2% vs 17.7%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (3.5% vs 9.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (13.4% vs 7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for St. Simons
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

St. Simons’s Health Grade: A

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, St. Simons is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns and 92% of Georgia towns.

ASelf-rated healthA-Physical distressA+Mental distressAObesityB-DiabetesASmokingAExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 87%
Less healthyHealthier
Georgia towns we grade (384)Healthier than 92%
Towns with similar incomes, $82K–$136K (6,898)Healthier than 81%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, St. Simons could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
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 St. Simons 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. St. Simons 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 St. Simons 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 St. Simons adults…

42 of every 100 St. Simons adults have high blood pressure
Georgia: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 38–46.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

St. Simons, betterSt. Simons, worseToo close to callGeorgia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 19.4% St. Simons
GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.6% St. Simons
GA 38.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.1% St. Simons
GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 8.7% St. Simons
GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

83%
Yearly checkup
GA 78%
74%
Dentist visit
GA 59%
93%
Cholesterol check
GA 87%
76%
Colon screening
GA 64%
81%
Mammogram
GA 76%
84%
Taking BP meds
GA 77%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
St. Simons 6.6% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How St. Simons adults are doing

1 in 4St. Simons adults feel lonely
28.5% · Georgia 37.3% · better
1 in 5St. Simons adults have been diagnosed with depression
18.2% · Georgia 19% · too close to call
1 in 6St. Simons adults lack social or emotional support
16.3% · Georgia 24.6% · better
1 in 8St. Simons adults are in frequent mental distress
12.2% · Georgia 16.9% · better
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 16
St. Simons adults worry about having enough food
6.2% · GA 17.7% · better
1 in 18
St. Simons adults worry about keeping their housing
5.5% · GA 15% · better
1 in 29
St. Simons adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
3.5% · GA 9.6% · better
1 in 25
St. Simons adults lack reliable transportation
4% · GA 9.5% · better

4.2% of St. Simons adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Disability

Living with a disability

25.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.5%
Thinking or memory9.5%
Hearing8.2%
Errands alone6%
Vision3.5%
Dressing or bathing2.9%

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

Getting care

Care in and near St. Simons

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

HNearest ERSoutheast Georgia Health System -- Camden CampusSaint Marys · 30.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBaptist Medical Center - Nassau★★★★★ · 36.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCoastal Community Health ServicesBrunswick · 5.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.6 mi
Coastal Community Health Services
7 sites · nearest in Brunswick
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
5.9 mi
Southeast Georgia Health System- Brunswick Campus
Brunswick · ★★★★★
30.6 mi
Mckinney Community Health Center
Kingsland · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
30.8 mi
Southeast Georgia Health System -- Camden Campus
Saint Marys · ★★★★★
ER
36.6 mi
Baptist Medical Center - Nassau
Fernandina Beach · ★★★★★
ER
41.7 mi
Wayne Memorial Hospital
Jesup · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careSt. Simons's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Glynn County · need score 18 of 25
! Dental careSt. Simons's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Glynn County · need score 17 of 25
! Mental healthSt. Simons's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, MHCA 26-Gateway Behavioral Health Services · need score 18 of 25

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

All 40 measures for St. Simons
MeasureSt. SimonsMarginGeorgia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure42.2%38–46.7%37.4%worse
High cholesterol45%40.4–49.6%36.8%worse
Obesity28.5%22.6–35.1%35.2%better
Arthritis31.9%28.4–35.7%24.6%worse
Depression18.2%15.4–21.4%19%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)6.9%5.5–8.4%14.5%better
Asthma9%7.9–10.2%10.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)13.4%12.2–14.6%7%worse
Diabetes12.5%10.8–14.4%13.3%about the same
COPD6.3%5.5–7.1%6.5%about the same
Heart disease7.4%6.6–8.3%6.1%worse
Stroke3.5%3.2–3.9%3.6%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes8.7%7.3–10.3%13.6%better
Binge drink14.1%11.5–17%14.5%about the same
Get no exercise19.4%16.2–22.9%26.5%better
Sleep under 7 hours31.6%26.2–37.1%38.4%better
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup83.4%80.5–86.1%78.4%better
Dentist visit73.6%70.5–76.4%59.2%better
Cholesterol check92.8%91.7–93.7%86.8%better
Colon screening76.3%71.9–80%64.4%better
Mammogram80.8%74.1–86%75.8%about the same
Taking BP meds83.7%81.1–86.1%77.4%better
No health insurance6.6%5.6–7.8%13.1%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely28.5%24–33.2%37.3%better
Lack emotional support16.3%13.8–19.1%24.6%better
Frequent mental distress12.2%10.8–13.9%16.9%better
Fair or poor health14.2%12.3–16.4%20.3%better
Frequent physical distress12.1%10.7–13.8%13.5%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity6.2%5.1–7.4%17.7%better
Housing insecurity5.5%4.6–6.5%15%better
Utility shut-off threat3.5%3–4.1%9.6%better
No reliable transportation4%3.4–4.5%9.5%better
Receive SNAP4.2%3.5–5.1%14.2%
Disability
Any disability25.9%22.5–29.6%29.6%
Walking or climbing stairs12.5%10.9–14.4%14%
Thinking or memory9.5%8.3–10.7%14.4%
Hearing8.2%7.3–9.3%6.2%
Vision3.5%3.2–3.9%5.6%
Dressing or bathing2.9%2.6–3.2%4.2%
Errands alone6%5.3–6.8%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 St. Simons door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Georgia figure falls inside it, we don't call St. Simons better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes St. Simons 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/19 · 2025-01-01