Health · Ruth

Ruth, NC health

Ruth differs from North Carolina on 21 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (12.9% vs 7.1%) and more smokers (22.4% vs 13.5%).

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

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 510 people are less certain, so we show Ruth's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Ruth 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 Ruth adults…

43 of every 100 Ruth adults have high blood pressure

North Carolina: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 39–48%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Ruth, betterRuth, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina

Get no exerciseshare of adults 33.8% Ruth
NC 23.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.7% Ruth
NC 34.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 13.4% Ruth
NC 14.7%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 22.4% Ruth
NC 13.5%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Ruth 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

Ruth 14.6% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)

Mind & connection

How Ruth adults are doing

1 in 3Ruth adults feel lonely

32.6% · North Carolina 32.5% · too close to call

1 in 3Ruth adults have been diagnosed with depression

28.8% · North Carolina 24.2% · worse

1 in 4Ruth adults lack social or emotional support

22.9% · North Carolina 22.5% · too close to call

1 in 5Ruth adults are in frequent mental distress

20.2% · 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 4

Ruth adults worry about having enough food

24.3% · NC 15.2% · worse

1 in 6

Ruth adults worry about keeping their housing

16.7% · NC 12.2% · worse

1 in 8

Ruth adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

12.6% · NC 8.1% · worse

1 in 8

Ruth adults lack reliable transportation

12.5% · NC 8.4% · worse

24.2% of Ruth adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

42.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs21.5%

Thinking or memory20.4%

Hearing10.9%

Errands alone13%

Vision8.8%

Dressing or bathing6.9%

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

Around Ruth

Ruth and the towns around it

Care nearby

Rutherford Regional Medical CenterRutherfordton · 1.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Advent Health PolkColumbus · 18 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

The Mcdowell HospitalMarion · 20 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Atrium Health ClevelandShelby · 23.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Rutherford Health CenterSpindale · 1.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Kintegra Family Medicine - Boiling SpringsShelby · 17.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

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

! Mental healthRuth's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Western Highlands MHCA · 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 Ruth. 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 Ruth

Measure	Ruth	Margin	North Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	43.3%	39–48%	36.8%	worse
High cholesterol	38.8%	34.7–43.5%	35.6%	about the same
Obesity	42.3%	34.1–51.1%	35.1%	about the same
Arthritis	32.9%	29.4–36.8%	26.9%	worse
Depression	28.8%	24.9–33.4%	24.2%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	17.8%	14.4–21.2%	13.9%	worse
Asthma	11.9%	10.5–13.5%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.8%	7.9–9.9%	7.9%	about the same
Diabetes	16.4%	14.2–18.8%	12%	worse
COPD	12.9%	10.9–15%	7.1%	worse
Heart disease	10.1%	8.8–11.4%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	5.4%	4.7–6%	3.6%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	22.4%	18.5–26.5%	13.5%	worse
Binge drink	13.4%	10.9–16.2%	14.7%	about the same
Get no exercise	33.8%	28.3–39.8%	23.8%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	33.7%	27.1–40.4%	34.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.9%	75.2–82.2%	80%	about the same
Dentist visit	55.6%	51.4–59.4%	63.6%	worse
Cholesterol check	84.1%	81.4–86.5%	87.5%	worse
Colon screening	60.9%	54.7–66.1%	65.7%	about the same
Mammogram	70.2%	60.7–78%	78.7%	worse
Taking BP meds	77.9%	74.8–80.6%	76.7%	about the same
No health insurance	14.6%	11.4–18%	10.4%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	32.6%	27.3–38.4%	32.5%	about the same
Lack emotional support	22.9%	19–27.3%	22.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	20.2%	17.8–22.9%	16.5%	worse
Fair or poor health	28.6%	24.7–33.1%	19%	worse
Frequent physical distress	18%	15.6–20.5%	12.7%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	24.3%	19.7–29.2%	15.2%	worse
Housing insecurity	16.7%	13.8–19.7%	12.2%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	12.6%	10.7–14.7%	8.1%	worse
No reliable transportation	12.5%	10.6–14.6%	8.4%	worse
Receive SNAP	24.2%	19.5–29.1%	12.3%
Disability
Any disability	42.8%	37.4–48.5%	32%
Walking or climbing stairs	21.5%	18.4–24.6%	14.2%
Thinking or memory	20.4%	17.6–23.4%	14.8%
Hearing	10.9%	9.5–12.3%	7.3%
Vision	8.8%	7.7–10%	5.3%
Dressing or bathing	6.9%	6–7.9%	4%
Errands alone	13%	11.2–14.9%	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 Ruth 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 Ruth better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Ruth 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.