Health · Sylva

Sylva, NC health

On most measures Sylva looks like North Carolina as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (8.5% vs 7.1%) and fewer adults seeing a dentist (57.3% vs 63.6%).

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

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Sylva’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sylva is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns, and than 88% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthB-Physical distressCMental distressB-ObesityB-DiabetesC+SmokingC+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 42%

Less healthyHealthier

North Carolina towns we grade (455)Healthier than 42%

Towns with similar incomes, $33K–$55K (3,463)Healthier than 88%

Better than its income would suggest. Sylva is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

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

36 of every 100 Sylva adults have high blood pressure

North Carolina: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32–40.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sylva, betterSylva, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina

Get no exerciseshare of adults 26.8% Sylva
NC 23.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.9% Sylva
NC 34.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.2% Sylva
NC 14.7%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.6% Sylva
NC 13.5%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Sylva 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

Sylva 12.4% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)

Mind & connection

How Sylva adults are doing

1 in 3Sylva adults feel lonely

34.1% · North Carolina 32.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Sylva adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.7% · North Carolina 24.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Sylva adults lack social or emotional support

21.8% · North Carolina 22.5% · too close to call

1 in 5Sylva adults are in frequent mental distress

18.2% · 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 6

Sylva adults worry about having enough food

17% · NC 15.2% · about the same

1 in 8

Sylva adults worry about keeping their housing

12.9% · NC 12.2% · about the same

1 in 11

Sylva adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.8% · NC 8.1% · about the same

1 in 11

Sylva adults lack reliable transportation

9.5% · NC 8.4% · about the same

14.5% of Sylva adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

36.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.2%

Thinking or memory17.1%

Hearing8.9%

Errands alone9.9%

Vision6.2%

Dressing or bathing4.5%

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

Around Sylva

Sylva and the towns around it

Care nearby

Harris Regional HospitalSylva · 1.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Cherokee Indian Hospital AuthorityCherokee · 11.8 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Dlp Swain County HospitalBryson City · 13.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Angel Medical CenterFranklin · 17 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Sylva Health CenterSylva · 1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Appalachian Mountain Health at SylvaSylva · 1.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careSylva's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Jackson County · need score 15 of 25

! Dental careSylva's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Jackson County · need score 18 of 25

! Mental healthSylva's county is a federal shortage area.Jackson County · need score 11 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 Sylva. 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 Sylva

Measure	Sylva	Margin	North Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	36.3%	32–40.4%	36.8%	about the same
High cholesterol	35.7%	31.5–40%	35.6%	about the same
Obesity	36.3%	28.8–44.1%	35.1%	about the same
Arthritis	28.3%	24.9–31.5%	26.9%	about the same
Depression	26.7%	22.7–30.8%	24.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	16.7%	13.7–19.8%	13.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.9%	9.5–12.3%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.5%	7.6–9.4%	7.9%	about the same
Diabetes	12.3%	10.5–14.2%	12%	about the same
COPD	8.5%	7.3–9.9%	7.1%	worse
Heart disease	7.4%	6.5–8.3%	6.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.9%	3.5–4.4%	3.6%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.6%	13–18.3%	13.5%	about the same
Binge drink	15.2%	12.3–18.5%	14.7%	about the same
Get no exercise	26.8%	22–31.6%	23.8%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	33.9%	27.2–40.8%	34.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.2%	74.2–81.9%	80%	about the same
Dentist visit	57.3%	53.4–60.9%	63.6%	worse
Cholesterol check	85%	82.5–87.3%	87.5%	worse
Colon screening	62.2%	56.8–67.2%	65.7%	about the same
Mammogram	77.3%	69.5–83.7%	78.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	75.7%	72.6–78.4%	76.7%	about the same
No health insurance	12.4%	10–14.9%	10.4%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	34.1%	28.6–39.7%	32.5%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.8%	18.2–25.6%	22.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.2%	16–20.5%	16.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	21.1%	17.9–24.3%	19%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.1%	12.3–16.1%	12.7%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17%	14.1–19.9%	15.2%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.9%	10.7–14.9%	12.2%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.8%	7.4–10.2%	8.1%	about the same
No reliable transportation	9.5%	8.1–10.9%	8.4%	about the same
Receive SNAP	14.5%	11.8–17.3%	12.3%
Disability
Any disability	36.3%	31.6–41.1%	32%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.2%	13.8–18.6%	14.2%
Thinking or memory	17.1%	14.8–19.5%	14.8%
Hearing	8.9%	7.7–10.1%	7.3%
Vision	6.2%	5.4–7%	5.3%
Dressing or bathing	4.5%	3.9–5.1%	4%
Errands alone	9.9%	8.6–11.4%	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 Sylva 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 Sylva better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Sylva 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.