Health · Northwest

Northwest, NC health

Northwest differs from North Carolina on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (11.6% vs 14.7%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (82.3% vs 76.7%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (24% vs 13.9%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 885 people are less certain, so we show Northwest's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Northwest 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 Northwest adults…

45 of every 100 Northwest adults have high blood pressure
North Carolina: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 40.8–49.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Northwest, betterNorthwest, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina
Get no exerciseshare of adults 29% Northwest
NC 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 42.5% Northwest
NC 34.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults 11.6% Northwest
NC 14.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.3% Northwest
NC 13.5%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

84%
Yearly checkup
NC 80%
56%
Dentist visit
NC 64%
90%
Cholesterol check
NC 88%
68%
Colon screening
NC 66%
80%
Mammogram
NC 79%
82%
Taking BP meds
NC 77%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Northwest 11.1% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)
Mind & connection

How Northwest adults are doing

1 in 3Northwest adults feel lonely
34.5% · North Carolina 32.5% · too close to call
1 in 5Northwest adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.1% · North Carolina 24.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Northwest adults lack social or emotional support
27% · North Carolina 22.5% · worse
1 in 6Northwest adults are in frequent mental distress
16.6% · 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 4
Northwest adults worry about having enough food
22.7% · NC 15.2% · worse
1 in 6
Northwest adults worry about keeping their housing
17.6% · NC 12.2% · worse
1 in 8
Northwest adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
12.1% · NC 8.1% · worse
1 in 9
Northwest adults lack reliable transportation
11.3% · NC 8.4% · worse

19.7% of Northwest adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

36.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs19.4%
Thinking or memory15.8%
Hearing6.8%
Errands alone10.1%
Vision7.5%
Dressing or bathing5.9%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Northwest

No hospital or community health center in Northwest itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERNovant Health New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington · 14.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyNovant Health Brunswick Medical Center★★★★★ · 22.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNew Hanover Community Health Center, IncorporatedWilmington · 12.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
12.3 mi
New Hanover Community Health Center, Incorporated
3 sites · nearest in Wilmington
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.2 mi
Goshen Medical Center
2 sites · nearest in Wilmington
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.8 mi
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Wilmington · ★★★★★
ER
15 mi
Wilmington Treatment Center
Wilmington · not rated
20.7 mi
Pender Memorial Hospital
Burgaw · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.8 mi
Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center
Supply · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNorthwest is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNorthwest is not a shortage area
! Mental healthNorthwest's county is a federal shortage area.Brunswick · need score 11 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 Northwest. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Northwest
MeasureNorthwestMarginNorth Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure45.2%40.8–49.6%36.8%worse
High cholesterol37.6%33.2–42.1%35.6%about the same
Obesity40.5%33.2–48.3%35.1%about the same
Arthritis32%28.4–35.6%26.9%worse
Depression21.1%17.9–24.7%24.2%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)24%20.3–28%13.9%worse
Asthma12.1%10.6–13.6%10.8%about the same
Cancer (not skin)7.2%6.4–8%7.9%about the same
Diabetes17.3%15–19.7%12%worse
COPD8.2%7.1–9.4%7.1%about the same
Heart disease7.7%6.8–8.6%6.6%worse
Stroke5.2%4.7–5.8%3.6%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.3%13–17.9%13.5%about the same
Binge drink11.6%9.3–14.1%14.7%better
Get no exercise29%24.3–33.8%23.8%worse
Sleep under 7 hours42.5%35.9–49.1%34.2%worse
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup84.4%81.4–87.2%80%better
Dentist visit55.5%51.6–59.2%63.6%worse
Cholesterol check89.5%87.9–90.9%87.5%better
Colon screening67.6%62.4–72.1%65.7%about the same
Mammogram80.4%73.3–85.9%78.7%about the same
Taking BP meds82.3%79.7–84.7%76.7%better
No health insurance11.1%9.1–13.2%10.4%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely34.5%29.3–39.7%32.5%about the same
Lack emotional support27%23–31.1%22.5%worse
Frequent mental distress16.6%14.6–18.7%16.5%about the same
Fair or poor health24%20.8–27.3%19%worse
Frequent physical distress14.3%12.4–16.1%12.7%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity22.7%19.1–26.4%15.2%worse
Housing insecurity17.6%15–20.3%12.2%worse
Utility shut-off threat12.1%10.4–13.9%8.1%worse
No reliable transportation11.3%9.8–13%8.4%worse
Receive SNAP19.7%16.5–23.1%12.3%
Disability
Any disability36.5%32–41.2%32%
Walking or climbing stairs19.4%16.8–22.1%14.2%
Thinking or memory15.8%13.8–17.9%14.8%
Hearing6.8%6–7.6%7.3%
Vision7.5%6.7–8.4%5.3%
Dressing or bathing5.9%5.2–6.7%4%
Errands alone10.1%8.9–11.5%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 Northwest 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 Northwest better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Northwest 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01