Health · Nebo

Nebo, NC health

Nebo differs from North Carolina on 15 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (12.3% vs 7.1%) and more smokers (20.8% vs 13.5%).

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

DHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Nebo’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Nebo is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns, and than 36% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthDPhysical distressC-Mental distressC+ObesityC-DiabetesDSmokingC-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 15%

Less healthyHealthier

North Carolina towns we grade (455)Healthier than 18%

Towns with similar incomes, $38K–$63K (5,456)Healthier than 36%

Better than its income would suggest. Nebo is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is D.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Nebo could be anywhere from D− to 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 Nebo 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. Nebo 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 Nebo 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 Nebo adults…

43 of every 100 Nebo adults have high blood pressure

North Carolina: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 38.1–47.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Nebo, betterNebo, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina

Get no exerciseshare of adults 30% Nebo
NC 23.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.9% Nebo
NC 34.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 13.6% Nebo
NC 14.7%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 20.8% Nebo
NC 13.5%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Nebo 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 8

working-age adults has no health insurance

Nebo 11.8% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)

Mind & connection

How Nebo adults are doing

1 in 3Nebo adults feel lonely

32.9% · North Carolina 32.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Nebo adults have been diagnosed with depression

28% · North Carolina 24.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Nebo adults lack social or emotional support

22.2% · North Carolina 22.5% · too close to call

1 in 5Nebo adults are in frequent mental distress

18.9% · North Carolina 16.5% · 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 5

Nebo adults worry about having enough food

18.7% · NC 15.2% · about the same

1 in 8

Nebo adults worry about keeping their housing

12.6% · NC 12.2% · about the same

1 in 11

Nebo adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9% · NC 8.1% · about the same

1 in 10

Nebo adults lack reliable transportation

9.7% · NC 8.4% · about the same

17.4% of Nebo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

40.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs20.6%

Thinking or memory18.8%

Hearing10.3%

Errands alone11.6%

Vision7.2%

Dressing or bathing5.9%

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

Around Nebo

Nebo and the towns around it

Care nearby

The Mcdowell HospitalMarion · 7.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Blue Ridge Healthcare HospitalsMorganton · 14.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Blue Ridge Regional HospitalSpruce Pine · 15.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Caldwell Memorial HospitalLenoir · 25.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mcdowell County Health CenterMarion · 7.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Morganton Office 301 E Meeting StreetMorganton · 13.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careNebo's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, McDowell County · need score 17 of 25

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

! Mental healthNebo's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, McDowell 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 Nebo. 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 Nebo

Measure	Nebo	Margin	North Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	42.6%	38.1–47.4%	36.8%	worse
High cholesterol	41.6%	36.8–46.6%	35.6%	worse
Obesity	37.3%	29–46.1%	35.1%	about the same
Arthritis	35.1%	31.2–39.2%	26.9%	worse
Depression	28%	23.9–32.6%	24.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	18.9%	15.5–22.7%	13.9%	worse
Asthma	11.8%	10.4–13.5%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.9%	8.8–11%	7.9%	worse
Diabetes	15%	12.9–17.5%	12%	worse
COPD	12.3%	10.3–14.6%	7.1%	worse
Heart disease	9.5%	8.3–10.8%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	5%	4.4–5.7%	3.6%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	20.8%	16.9–24.8%	13.5%	worse
Binge drink	13.6%	11–16.6%	14.7%	about the same
Get no exercise	30%	24.6–36.1%	23.8%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	34.9%	28.2–42.1%	34.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.3%	76.7–83.7%	80%	about the same
Dentist visit	57.8%	53.8–61.7%	63.6%	worse
Cholesterol check	86.2%	83.9–88.4%	87.5%	about the same
Colon screening	65.9%	60.4–71%	65.7%	about the same
Mammogram	73.7%	65.4–80.9%	78.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.5%	76.4–82.3%	76.7%	about the same
No health insurance	11.8%	8.9–14.9%	10.4%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	32.9%	27.5–38.6%	32.5%	about the same
Lack emotional support	22.2%	18.5–26.4%	22.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.9%	16.6–21.5%	16.5%	worse
Fair or poor health	25.6%	21.5–30.1%	19%	worse
Frequent physical distress	17.4%	15–20.2%	12.7%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	18.7%	14.8–23.4%	15.2%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.6%	10.3–15.4%	12.2%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	9%	7.5–10.7%	8.1%	about the same
No reliable transportation	9.7%	8.1–11.6%	8.4%	about the same
Receive SNAP	17.4%	13.6–21.8%	12.3%
Disability
Any disability	40.4%	34.9–46.2%	32%
Walking or climbing stairs	20.6%	17.4–24.3%	14.2%
Thinking or memory	18.8%	16.1–21.8%	14.8%
Hearing	10.3%	9–11.8%	7.3%
Vision	7.2%	6.2–8.4%	5.3%
Dressing or bathing	5.9%	5–7%	4%
Errands alone	11.6%	9.8–13.6%	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 Nebo 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 Nebo better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Nebo 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.