Health · Franklin

Franklin, NC health

Franklin differs from North Carolina on 9 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (9.6% vs 7.1%) and more uninsured adults (13.6% vs 10.4%).

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

Report card

How Franklin compares with North Carolina

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 Franklin adults…

40 of every 100 Franklin adults have high blood pressure

North Carolina: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35–44%

Bars show Franklin; the black tick is North Carolina. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Franklin, betterFranklin, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina

Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.3% Franklin
NC 23.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.3% Franklin
NC 34.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 14.2% Franklin
NC 14.7%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.9% Franklin
NC 13.5%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Franklin adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.

Yearly checkup

NC 80%

Dentist visit

NC 64%

Cholesterol check

NC 88%

Colon screening

NC 66%

Mammogram

NC 79%

Taking BP meds

NC 77%

1 in 7

working-age adults has no health insurance

Franklin 13.6% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)

Mind & connection

How Franklin adults are doing

1 in 3Franklin adults feel lonely

31.7% · North Carolina 32.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Franklin adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.7% · North Carolina 24.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Franklin adults lack social or emotional support

21.5% · North Carolina 22.5% · too close to call

1 in 6Franklin adults are in frequent mental distress

17.6% · North Carolina 16.5% · 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 6

Franklin adults worry about having enough food

16.8% · NC 15.2% · about the same

1 in 8

Franklin adults worry about keeping their housing

12.3% · NC 12.2% · about the same

1 in 12

Franklin adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.1% · NC 8.1% · about the same

1 in 11

Franklin adults lack reliable transportation

8.9% · NC 8.4% · about the same

13.9% of Franklin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

38.2%

of Franklin adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.8%

Thinking or memory17.3%

Hearing9.8%

Errands alone10.1%

Vision6.5%

Dressing or bathing4.8%

Black tick: North Carolina. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Franklin

Franklin and the towns around it

Care nearby

Angel Medical CenterFranklin · 1.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Highlands Cashiers HospitalHighlands · 12.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Harris Regional HospitalSylva · 17.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Dlp Swain County HospitalBryson City · 18 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Mahec Ob/Gyn Specialists FranklinFranklin · 0.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Blue Ridge Health-Meridian MaconFranklin · 0.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careFranklin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.MI - Macon County · need score 19 of 25

! Dental careFranklin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Macon County · need score 16 of 25

! Mental healthFranklin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Macon County · need score 16 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 Franklin. 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 Franklin

Measure	Franklin	Margin	North Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.7%	35–44%	36.8%	about the same
High cholesterol	38.7%	34–43.1%	35.6%	about the same
Obesity	35.8%	27.3–44%	35.1%	about the same
Arthritis	31.2%	27.5–34.7%	26.9%	worse
Depression	26.7%	22.5–30.8%	24.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	15.4%	12.5–18.5%	13.9%	about the same
Asthma	11%	9.5–12.4%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.8%	8.8–10.8%	7.9%	worse
Diabetes	13%	11.1–14.9%	12%	about the same
COPD	9.6%	8.3–10.9%	7.1%	worse
Heart disease	8.3%	7.3–9.2%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	4.4%	3.9–4.8%	3.6%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.9%	13.4–18.4%	13.5%	about the same
Binge drink	14.2%	11.3–17.1%	14.7%	about the same
Get no exercise	28.3%	23.4–33%	23.8%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	33.3%	26.9–40.2%	34.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.5%	75.5–82.9%	80%	about the same
Dentist visit	59.4%	55.6–63.2%	63.6%	worse
Cholesterol check	86.3%	84.1–88.2%	87.5%	about the same
Colon screening	66.1%	60.9–70.9%	65.7%	about the same
Mammogram	76%	68.1–82.7%	78.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	78.3%	75–80.8%	76.7%	about the same
No health insurance	13.6%	11.2–15.9%	10.4%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.7%	26.7–37.4%	32.5%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.5%	18–25.3%	22.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.6%	15.4–19.6%	16.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	22.5%	19.4–25.6%	19%	worse
Frequent physical distress	15.2%	13.2–17.1%	12.7%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	16.8%	14.2–20%	15.2%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.3%	10.5–14.5%	12.2%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.1%	6.9–9.4%	8.1%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.9%	7.7–10.2%	8.4%	about the same
Receive SNAP	13.9%	11.7–16.7%	12.3%
Disability
Any disability	38.2%	33.2–42.8%	32%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.8%	15.3–20.2%	14.2%
Thinking or memory	17.3%	15–19.4%	14.8%
Hearing	9.8%	8.6–11%	7.3%
Vision	6.5%	5.8–7.2%	5.3%
Dressing or bathing	4.8%	4.3–5.3%	4%
Errands alone	10.1%	8.8–11.4%	8.2%

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 Franklin door to door.

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

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

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