Health · Sylvester

Sylvester, GA health

Sylvester differs from Georgia on 20 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (80.2% vs 77.4%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (22.3% vs 14.5%).

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

Sylvester’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sylvester is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns.

DSelf-rated healthC-Physical distressC-Mental distressDObesityDDiabetesC-SmokingDExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 10%
Less healthyHealthier
Georgia towns we grade (384)Healthier than 27%
Towns with similar incomes, $44K–$73K (7,801)Healthier than 13%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Sylvester 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 Sylvester 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. Sylvester 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 Sylvester 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 Sylvester adults…

46 of every 100 Sylvester adults have high blood pressure
Georgia: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 41.5–50.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sylvester, betterSylvester, worseToo close to callGeorgia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 34.5% Sylvester
GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 41.7% Sylvester
GA 38.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 11.9% Sylvester
GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.5% Sylvester
GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%
Yearly checkup
GA 78%
49%
Dentist visit
GA 59%
87%
Cholesterol check
GA 87%
64%
Colon screening
GA 64%
75%
Mammogram
GA 76%
80%
Taking BP meds
GA 77%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sylvester 14.2% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Sylvester adults are doing

1 in 2Sylvester adults feel lonely
40.4% · Georgia 37.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Sylvester adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.8% · Georgia 19% · too close to call
1 in 3Sylvester adults lack social or emotional support
28.7% · Georgia 24.6% · worse
1 in 5Sylvester adults are in frequent mental distress
19.2% · Georgia 16.9% · worse
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
Sylvester adults worry about having enough food
26.6% · GA 17.7% · worse
1 in 5
Sylvester adults worry about keeping their housing
21% · GA 15% · worse
1 in 7
Sylvester adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
14.6% · GA 9.6% · worse
1 in 7
Sylvester adults lack reliable transportation
13.5% · GA 9.5% · worse

24.2% of Sylvester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Disability

Living with a disability

37.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs19.7%
Thinking or memory17.3%
Hearing6.9%
Errands alone11.9%
Vision7.9%
Dressing or bathing6.1%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Sylvester

1 hospital and 1 community health center in Sylvester, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERPhoebe Worth Medical CenterSylvester · 1.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyTift Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 20.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCareconnect HealthSylvester · 0.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.5 mi
Careconnect Health
4 sites · nearest in Sylvester
Sliding-scale feesIn Sylvester
Directions to nearest
1.2 mi
Phoebe Worth Medical Center
Sylvester · not rated
ERRural critical accessIn Sylvester
15.8 mi
Albany Area Primary Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Albany
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
19.4 mi
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
Albany · ★★★★★
ER
20.4 mi
South Georgia Specialty Hospital
Albany · not rated
20.6 mi
Tift Regional Medical Center
Tifton · ★★★★★
! Primary careSylvester's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Worth County · need score 19 of 25
✓ Dental careSylvester is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSylvester's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 20 - Aspire BH & DD Services Area (formerly Albany CSB) · need score 15 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 Sylvester. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Sylvester
MeasureSylvesterMarginGeorgia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure45.8%41.5–50.3%37.4%worse
High cholesterol38.1%33.8–42.6%36.8%about the same
Obesity41.4%33.2–50.2%35.2%about the same
Arthritis30.1%26.9–33.6%24.6%worse
Depression19.8%16.7–23.4%19%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)22.3%18.6–26.3%14.5%worse
Asthma11.6%10.3–13.1%10.1%worse
Cancer (not skin)7.2%6.4–7.9%7%about the same
Diabetes17.7%15.6–20.1%13.3%worse
COPD8.7%7.7–10%6.5%worse
Heart disease7.5%6.8–8.5%6.1%worse
Stroke5.1%4.7–5.7%3.6%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17.5%15.1–20.4%13.6%worse
Binge drink11.9%9.7–14.6%14.5%about the same
Get no exercise34.5%29.5–40.3%26.5%worse
Sleep under 7 hours41.7%34.7–49%38.4%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81.1%77.8–84.2%78.4%about the same
Dentist visit49.3%45.6–53%59.2%worse
Cholesterol check86.5%84.6–88.2%86.8%about the same
Colon screening63.9%58.6–69.1%64.4%about the same
Mammogram74.6%66.8–81.3%75.8%about the same
Taking BP meds80.2%77.8–82.5%77.4%better
No health insurance14.2%12.1–16.7%13.1%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely40.4%34.9–46.1%37.3%about the same
Lack emotional support28.7%24.8–32.9%24.6%worse
Frequent mental distress19.2%17.1–21.7%16.9%worse
Fair or poor health26.9%23.8–30.5%20.3%worse
Frequent physical distress16.3%14.5–18.5%13.5%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity26.6%23–30.4%17.7%worse
Housing insecurity21%18.4–23.9%15%worse
Utility shut-off threat14.6%12.9–16.5%9.6%worse
No reliable transportation13.5%11.9–15.3%9.5%worse
Receive SNAP24.2%21–27.8%14.2%
Disability
Any disability37.4%32.8–42.5%29.6%
Walking or climbing stairs19.7%17.5–22.4%14%
Thinking or memory17.3%15.3–19.6%14.4%
Hearing6.9%6.2–7.9%6.2%
Vision7.9%7.2–8.8%5.6%
Dressing or bathing6.1%5.5–6.8%4.2%
Errands alone11.9%10.7–13.5%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 Sylvester door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Georgia figure falls inside it, we don't call Sylvester better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Sylvester 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