Health · Granite Falls

Granite Falls, NC health

On most measures Granite Falls looks like North Carolina as a whole. It has fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (6.6% vs 8.1%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (10.1% vs 12.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (9.2% vs 7.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Granite Falls

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Granite Falls’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Granite Falls is healthier than 62% of U.S. towns, and than 90% of towns with similar incomes.

BSelf-rated healthBPhysical distressB-Mental distressA-ObesityB+DiabetesB-SmokingBExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 62%

Less healthyHealthier

North Carolina towns we grade (455)Healthier than 61%

Towns with similar incomes, $43K–$71K (7,286)Healthier than 90%

Better than its income would suggest. Granite Falls is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Granite Falls could be anywhere from C 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 North Carolina 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 Granite Falls 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. Granite Falls 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 Granite Falls 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 Granite Falls adults…

36 of every 100 Granite Falls adults have high blood pressure

North Carolina: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31.9–40.2%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Granite Falls, betterGranite Falls, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina

Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.9% Granite Falls
NC 23.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31% Granite Falls
NC 34.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.9% Granite Falls
NC 14.7%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.6% Granite Falls
NC 13.5%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Granite Falls 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 10

working-age adults has no health insurance

Granite Falls 10% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)

Mind & connection

How Granite Falls adults are doing

1 in 3Granite Falls adults feel lonely

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

1 in 4Granite Falls adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.3% · North Carolina 24.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Granite Falls adults lack social or emotional support

21.4% · North Carolina 22.5% · too close to call

1 in 6Granite Falls adults are in frequent mental distress

17.2% · 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 8

Granite Falls adults worry about having enough food

12.9% · NC 15.2% · about the same

1 in 10

Granite Falls adults worry about keeping their housing

10.1% · NC 12.2% · better

1 in 15

Granite Falls adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.6% · NC 8.1% · better

1 in 14

Granite Falls adults lack reliable transportation

7.2% · NC 8.4% · better

10.2% of Granite Falls adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.2%

of Granite Falls adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.4%

Thinking or memory15.5%

Hearing8.1%

Errands alone8.5%

Vision5%

Dressing or bathing3.8%

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

Around Granite Falls

Granite Falls and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.

28.5%39.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#2 of 10towns on this map, healthiest first

Northlakes28.5%

Granite Falls31.3%

Rhodhiss34.7%

Hickory38%

Care nearby

Frye Regional Medical CenterHickory · 6.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Caldwell Memorial HospitalLenoir · 10.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Catawba Valley Medical CenterHickory · 10.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Blue Ridge Healthcare HospitalsMorganton · 14.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Kintegra Behavioral Health - HickoryHickory · 6.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Eastern Burke HcchConnelly Springs · 6.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careGranite Falls's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Caldwell County · need score 13 of 25

! Dental careGranite Falls's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Caldwell County · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthGranite Falls's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Caldwell 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 Granite Falls. 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 Granite Falls

Measure	Granite Falls	Margin	North Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	35.9%	31.9–40.2%	36.8%	about the same
High cholesterol	36.8%	32.6–41.3%	35.6%	about the same
Obesity	31.3%	24.2–39.2%	35.1%	about the same
Arthritis	28.4%	25.1–31.8%	26.9%	about the same
Depression	26.3%	22.6–30.3%	24.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	13.3%	10.8–16.1%	13.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.9%	9.6–12.3%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.2%	8.4–10.2%	7.9%	worse
Diabetes	11.1%	9.5–12.8%	12%	about the same
COPD	7.8%	6.8–8.9%	7.1%	about the same
Heart disease	6.9%	6.1–7.7%	6.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.6%	3.3–4%	3.6%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	14.6%	12.5–17%	13.5%	about the same
Binge drink	15.9%	13–19.1%	14.7%	about the same
Get no exercise	23.9%	20–28.3%	23.8%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	31%	24.9–37.8%	34.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.5%	75.9–82.8%	80%	about the same
Dentist visit	63.7%	60.2–67.3%	63.6%	about the same
Cholesterol check	87.3%	85.4–89%	87.5%	about the same
Colon screening	66.8%	61.8–71.6%	65.7%	about the same
Mammogram	79.6%	72.5–85.6%	78.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	76.8%	73.6–79.6%	76.7%	about the same
No health insurance	10%	8.5–11.7%	10.4%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.7%	26.6–37%	32.5%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.4%	18.1–25%	22.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.2%	15.2–19.3%	16.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	18.9%	16.4–21.6%	19%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	13.5%	11.9–15.3%	12.7%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.9%	10.9–15.2%	15.2%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10.1%	8.6–11.7%	12.2%	better
Utility shut-off threat	6.6%	5.7–7.6%	8.1%	better
No reliable transportation	7.2%	6.3–8.3%	8.4%	better
Receive SNAP	10.2%	8.6–12%	12.3%
Disability
Any disability	32.2%	28–36.7%	32%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.4%	12.4–16.6%	14.2%
Thinking or memory	15.5%	13.7–17.5%	14.8%
Hearing	8.1%	7.1–9.1%	7.3%
Vision	5%	4.5–5.5%	5.3%
Dressing or bathing	3.8%	3.4–4.3%	4%
Errands alone	8.5%	7.5–9.6%	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 Granite Falls 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 Granite Falls better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Granite Falls 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.