Health · Wanchese

Wanchese, NC health

On most measures Wanchese looks like North Carolina as a whole. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (9.8% vs 12.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (9.5% vs 7.9%).

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

Wanchese’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Wanchese is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns and 56% of North Carolina towns.

B-Self-rated healthBPhysical distressBMental distressBObesityBDiabetesC+SmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 56%
Less healthyHealthier
North Carolina towns we grade (455)Healthier than 56%
Towns with similar incomes, $67K–$111K (9,259)Healthier than 47%

About what its income would suggest. Wanchese does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

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

38 of every 100 Wanchese adults have high blood pressure
North Carolina: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33–42.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Wanchese, betterWanchese, worseToo close to callNorth Carolina
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.3% Wanchese
NC 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29.9% Wanchese
NC 34.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.3% Wanchese
NC 14.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.6% Wanchese
NC 13.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
NC 80%
64%
Dentist visit
NC 64%
88%
Cholesterol check
NC 88%
61%
Colon screening
NC 66%
76%
Mammogram
NC 79%
78%
Taking BP meds
NC 77%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Wanchese 9.7% · North Carolina 1 in 10 (10.4%)
Mind & connection

How Wanchese adults are doing

1 in 3Wanchese adults feel lonely
30.8% · North Carolina 32.5% · too close to call
1 in 4Wanchese adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.2% · North Carolina 24.2% · too close to call
1 in 5Wanchese adults lack social or emotional support
20.5% · North Carolina 22.5% · too close to call
1 in 6Wanchese adults are in frequent mental distress
16.8% · 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 8
Wanchese adults worry about having enough food
12.8% · NC 15.2% · about the same
1 in 10
Wanchese adults worry about keeping their housing
9.8% · NC 12.2% · better
1 in 15
Wanchese adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.8% · NC 8.1% · about the same
1 in 14
Wanchese adults lack reliable transportation
7.1% · NC 8.4% · about the same

10.5% of Wanchese adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.3% across North Carolina.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.1%
Thinking or memory15.1%
Hearing8.5%
Errands alone8.4%
Vision5.1%
Dressing or bathing4%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Wanchese

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

HNearest ERThe Outer Banks HospitalNags Head · 7.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySentara Albemarle Medical Center★★★★★ · 46.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOcracoke Health CenterManteo · 5.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.1 mi
Ocracoke Health Center
4 sites · nearest in Manteo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.1 mi
The Outer Banks Hospital
Nags Head · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
43 mi
Creswell Primary Care
Creswell · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
46.8 mi
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center
Elizabeth City · ★★★★★
ER
56.4 mi
Vidant Chowan Hospital
Edenton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
61 mi
Washington County Hosp
Plymouth · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careWanchese is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWanchese is not a shortage area
! Mental healthWanchese's county is a federal shortage area.Dare County · need score 16 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 Wanchese. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Wanchese
MeasureWancheseMarginNorth Carolina
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure37.8%33–42.1%36.8%about the same
High cholesterol37.3%32.7–41.9%35.6%about the same
Obesity34.4%26.2–42.5%35.1%about the same
Arthritis29.7%25.9–33.3%26.9%about the same
Depression26.2%22.1–30.4%24.2%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)13.2%10.6–16.3%13.9%about the same
Asthma10.7%9.3–12.2%10.8%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.5%8.5–10.6%7.9%worse
Diabetes11.7%9.8–13.6%12%about the same
COPD8.4%6.8–10%7.1%about the same
Heart disease7.3%6.2–8.3%6.6%about the same
Stroke3.8%3.2–4.3%3.6%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.6%12.4–19%13.5%about the same
Binge drink15.3%12.3–18.4%14.7%about the same
Get no exercise24.3%19.4–29.5%23.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours29.9%24–36.5%34.2%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.5%75.7–82.9%80%about the same
Dentist visit64%60.3–67.7%63.6%about the same
Cholesterol check87.8%85.3–89.9%87.5%about the same
Colon screening61.2%56.1–66.3%65.7%about the same
Mammogram75.6%67.6–82.6%78.7%about the same
Taking BP meds77.7%74.1–80.6%76.7%about the same
No health insurance9.7%7.5–12.2%10.4%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.8%25.8–36.3%32.5%about the same
Lack emotional support20.5%17–24.5%22.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress16.8%14.5–19.2%16.5%about the same
Fair or poor health19.1%15.8–22.6%19%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.7%11.6–15.8%12.7%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity12.8%10.1–16%15.2%about the same
Housing insecurity9.8%7.9–12%12.2%better
Utility shut-off threat6.8%5.5–8.1%8.1%about the same
No reliable transportation7.1%5.9–8.6%8.4%about the same
Receive SNAP10.5%8.1–13.4%12.3%
Disability
Any disability32.9%27.6–38.1%32%
Walking or climbing stairs15.1%12.4–17.8%14.2%
Thinking or memory15.1%12.7–17.6%14.8%
Hearing8.5%7.3–9.6%7.3%
Vision5.1%4.4–5.9%5.3%
Dressing or bathing4%3.4–4.7%4%
Errands alone8.4%7.1–9.9%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 Wanchese 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 Wanchese better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Wanchese 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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