Highlands, NC health
Highlands differs from North Carolina on 24 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (6% vs 12.2%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (4% vs 8.1%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (14.9% vs 7.9%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for HighlandsHighlands’s Health Grade: B+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Highlands is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns, and than 86% of towns with similar incomes.
Better than its income would suggest. Highlands is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is 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 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 Highlands 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. Highlands 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.
How Highlands 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
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Highlands adults…
Bars show Highlands; the black tick is North Carolina. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
NC 23.8%
NC 34.2%
NC 14.7%
NC 13.5%
Keeping up with care
Share of Highlands adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Highlands adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.3% of Highlands adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Living with a disability
of Highlands adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Black tick: North Carolina. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Highlands
No hospital or community health center in Highlands itself. These are the nearest.
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 Highlands. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Highlands
| Measure | Highlands | Margin | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 46.2% | 40.9–50.9% | 36.8% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 45.6% | 40.2–50.4% | 35.6% | worse |
| Obesity | 31% | 23.3–38.9% | 35.1% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 38.4% | 33.9–42.7% | 26.9% | worse |
| Depression | 22.5% | 18.7–26.2% | 24.2% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 10.1% | 8.2–12.3% | 13.9% | better |
| Asthma | 10% | 8.6–11.4% | 10.8% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 14.9% | 13.4–16.4% | 7.9% | worse |
| Diabetes | 14.1% | 11.8–16.5% | 12% | about the same |
| COPD | 9.2% | 7.3–11.3% | 7.1% | worse |
| Heart disease | 10.1% | 8.7–11.7% | 6.6% | worse |
| Stroke | 4.8% | 4.1–5.6% | 3.6% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.4% | 8–13.1% | 13.5% | better |
| Binge drink | 11% | 8.8–13.3% | 14.7% | better |
| Get no exercise | 23.2% | 18.2–28.6% | 23.8% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.3% | 21.7–33.5% | 34.2% | better |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 85.6% | 82.6–88% | 80% | better |
| Dentist visit | 70.1% | 66.8–73.4% | 63.6% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 92.8% | 91.5–93.9% | 87.5% | better |
| Colon screening | 74.4% | 69.8–78.8% | 65.7% | better |
| Mammogram | 77.7% | 70.1–84.1% | 78.7% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 85.1% | 82.1–87.4% | 76.7% | better |
| No health insurance | 7.4% | 5.8–9.4% | 10.4% | better |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 26.5% | 21.8–31.6% | 32.5% | better |
| Lack emotional support | 17% | 14.1–20.4% | 22.5% | better |
| Frequent mental distress | 12.3% | 10.4–14.2% | 16.5% | better |
| Fair or poor health | 18.3% | 14.7–22.1% | 19% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 13.8% | 11.5–16.2% | 12.7% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 8.4% | 6.4–10.8% | 15.2% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 6% | 4.8–7.4% | 12.2% | better |
| Utility shut-off threat | 4% | 3.3–4.8% | 8.1% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 4.9% | 4–5.9% | 8.4% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 6.3% | 4.7–8.3% | 12.3% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.2% | 29.7–40.7% | 32% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 17.8% | 14.4–21.4% | 14.2% | |
| Thinking or memory | 11.7% | 9.7–13.9% | 14.8% | |
| Hearing | 11.7% | 10–13.4% | 7.3% | |
| Vision | 5.1% | 4.2–6% | 5.3% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4% | 3.3–4.8% | 4% | |
| Errands alone | 7.7% | 6.2–9.4% | 8.2% | |
How CDC estimates town health
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.