Wake Forest, NC health
Wake Forest differs from North Carolina on 20 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.1% vs 15.2%) and fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (8.7% vs 13.9%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Wake ForestWake Forest’s Health Grade: A
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Wake Forest is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns and 95% of North Carolina towns.
About what its income would suggest. Wake Forest does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
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 Wake Forest 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. Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest adults…
Bars show Wake Forest; 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 Wake Forest adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Carolina.
How Wake Forest 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.
6.8% of Wake Forest adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.
Living with a disability
of Wake Forest adults live with a disability (North Carolina 32%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: North Carolina. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Wake Forest and the towns around it
Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.
Obesity
Care nearby
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 Wake Forest. 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 Wake Forest
| Measure | Wake Forest | Margin | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 32.2% | 29.1–35.3% | 36.8% | better |
| High cholesterol | 34.3% | 31–37.7% | 35.6% | about the same |
| Obesity | 29.5% | 25.3–34% | 35.1% | better |
| Arthritis | 22.7% | 20.2–25.2% | 26.9% | better |
| Depression | 24.2% | 21.3–27.4% | 24.2% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 8.7% | 7.1–10.6% | 13.9% | better |
| Asthma | 10.4% | 9.3–11.7% | 10.8% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 7.6% | 6.9–8.3% | 7.9% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 9.1% | 7.9–10.3% | 12% | better |
| COPD | 4.7% | 4.1–5.3% | 7.1% | better |
| Heart disease | 4.7% | 4.2–5.2% | 6.6% | better |
| Stroke | 2.6% | 2.4–2.8% | 3.6% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.5% | 8.2–10.9% | 13.5% | better |
| Binge drink | 15.3% | 13–17.9% | 14.7% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 16.9% | 14.4–19.5% | 23.8% | better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31% | 27.2–35.1% | 34.2% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.7% | 77.8–83.3% | 80% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 72% | 69.2–74.6% | 63.6% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 90% | 88.6–91.2% | 87.5% | better |
| Colon screening | 66.1% | 61.9–70.2% | 65.7% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 79.2% | 73.2–84.4% | 78.7% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 74.5% | 71.3–77.5% | 76.7% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 6.9% | 5.9–7.9% | 10.4% | better |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 30.6% | 27–34.6% | 32.5% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 19.3% | 16.8–22.1% | 22.5% | better |
| Frequent mental distress | 14.8% | 13.2–16.6% | 16.5% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 13.1% | 11.5–14.8% | 19% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 9.5% | 8.4–10.7% | 12.7% | better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 9.1% | 7.9–10.6% | 15.2% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 8.3% | 7.2–9.6% | 12.2% | better |
| Utility shut-off threat | 5.5% | 4.8–6.3% | 8.1% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 5.7% | 5–6.4% | 8.4% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 6.8% | 5.8–7.9% | 12.3% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.6% | 20.8–26.5% | 32% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 9.7% | 8.5–11% | 14.2% | |
| Thinking or memory | 11.6% | 10.3–13.1% | 14.8% | |
| Hearing | 5.5% | 4.9–6.2% | 7.3% | |
| Vision | 3.5% | 3.2–3.8% | 5.3% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 2.6% | 2.4–2.9% | 4% | |
| Errands alone | 5.8% | 5.2–6.4% | 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.