Health · Elgin
Elgin, SC health
On most measures Elgin looks like South Carolina as a whole. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (10.3% vs 13.9%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for ElginTownTapestry Health GradeNew
B
Elgin’s Health Grade: B
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Elgin is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns and 79% of South Carolina towns.
B+Self-rated healthBPhysical distressBMental distressBObesityB-DiabetesBSmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 61%
Less healthyHealthier
South Carolina towns we grade (266)Healthier than 79%
Towns with similar incomes, $69K–$115K (9,001)Healthier than 52%
About what its income would suggest. Elgin does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Elgin 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 South 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 Elgin 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. Elgin 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 Elgin compares with South 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
37.4% have obesity
1 better11 close0 worse
Habits
28.3% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
80.1% had a checkup
0 better7 close0 worse
Mind & connection
33.8% feel lonely
0 better5 close0 worse
Everyday needs
18.9% face food insecurity
0 better5 close0 worse
Disability
33.7% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Elgin adults…
36 of every 100 Elgin adults have high blood pressure
South Carolina: 39 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.6–39.6%
Bars show Elgin; the black tick is South Carolina. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Elgin, betterElgin, worseToo close to callSouth Carolina
Get no exerciseshare of adults
28.3% Elgin
SC 25.8%
SC 25.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
38.8% Elgin
SC 35.8%
SC 35.8%
Binge drinkshare of adults
15.5% Elgin
SC 15.7%
SC 15.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
14.3% Elgin
SC 13.3%
SC 13.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Elgin adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
Yearly checkup
SC 81%Dentist visit
SC 63%Cholesterol check
SC 87%Colon screening
SC 69%Mammogram
SC 78%Taking BP meds
SC 80%1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Elgin 12.8% · South Carolina 1 in 8 (11.8%)
Mind & connection
How Elgin adults are doing
1 in 3Elgin adults feel lonely
33.8% · South Carolina 31.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Elgin adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.6% · South Carolina 22.3% · too close to call
1 in 4Elgin adults lack social or emotional support
26.3% · South Carolina 23.6% · too close to call
1 in 6Elgin adults are in frequent mental distress
17.9% · South Carolina 16.4% · 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 5
Elgin adults worry about having enough food
18.9% · SC 17.4% · about the same
1 in 7
Elgin adults worry about keeping their housing
14.5% · SC 13.3% · about the same
1 in 11
Elgin adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
9.1% · SC 8.9% · about the same
1 in 11
Elgin adults lack reliable transportation
9.1% · SC 8.6% · about the same
10.7% of Elgin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Disability
Living with a disability
33.7%
of Elgin adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs16.1%
Thinking or memory15.9%
Hearing7%
Errands alone9.6%
Vision5.8%
Dressing or bathing4.5%
Black tick: South Carolina. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Getting care
Care in and near Elgin
No hospital or community health center in Elgin itself. These are the nearest.
HNearest ERMusc Health Lancaster Medical CenterLancaster · 5.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCare Net of LancasterLancaster · 5.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.3 mi
Care Net of Lancaster
3 sites · nearest in Lancaster
Plexus | Lancaster | 703 N. WhiteLancaster · 5.3 mi
Plexus | Lancaster | 800 N. WhiteLancaster · 5.3 mi
Plexus Health | KershawKershaw · 11.4 mi
11.3 mi
Sandhills Medical Foundaton Jefferson
4 sites · nearest in Kershaw
Kershaw OfficeKershaw · 11.3 mi
Sandhills Medical Foundation Inc. - Jefferson SiteJefferson · 19.3 mi
Sandhills Medical Foundation - PagelandPageland · 20.1 mi
Pageland PharmacyPageland · 20.1 mi
Nothing matches.
✓ Primary careElgin is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careElgin is not a shortage area
! Mental healthElgin's county is a federal shortage area.Lancaster County · need score 17 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 Elgin. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Elgin
| Measure | Elgin | Margin | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 36% | 32.6–39.6% | 38.5% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 39.1% | 35.5–42.8% | 38.1% | about the same |
| Obesity | 37.4% | 31.9–43.3% | 35.8% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 28.9% | 26.2–31.9% | 28.5% | about the same |
| Depression | 23.6% | 20.4–27.1% | 22.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 10.3% | 8.4–12.4% | 13.9% | better |
| Asthma | 10.2% | 9–11.5% | 9.6% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 8.4% | 7.6–9.3% | 8.6% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 13.8% | 12.1–15.6% | 13.9% | about the same |
| COPD | 7.9% | 6.7–9.1% | 7.5% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 6.6% | 5.8–7.4% | 6.8% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3.9% | 3.5–4.3% | 3.9% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.3% | 12–16.7% | 13.3% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 15.5% | 12.9–18.5% | 15.7% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 28.3% | 24.2–32.6% | 25.8% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.8% | 33.8–44% | 35.8% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.1% | 76.9–83.1% | 80.6% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 63.6% | 60.2–66.8% | 63.1% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 86.2% | 84.2–88.1% | 86.9% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 68.2% | 63.8–72.4% | 69.3% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 78.8% | 72.7–84% | 77.6% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 79.7% | 77–82.1% | 80.2% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 12.8% | 10.6–15.5% | 11.8% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 33.8% | 29.5–38.4% | 31.7% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 26.3% | 22.6–30.1% | 23.6% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.9% | 15.9–20.1% | 16.4% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 21.4% | 18.4–24.4% | 20.1% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 15.2% | 13.3–17.1% | 14% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 18.9% | 15.8–22.2% | 17.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 14.5% | 12.2–16.8% | 13.3% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 9.1% | 7.8–10.5% | 8.9% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 9.1% | 7.8–10.5% | 8.6% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 10.7% | 8.8–12.9% | 10.5% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.7% | 29.6–38% | 31.5% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 16.1% | 13.9–18.3% | 15.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15.9% | 13.9–18.1% | 14.3% | |
| Hearing | 7% | 6.2–7.9% | 7% | |
| Vision | 5.8% | 5.1–6.5% | 5.6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.5% | 3.9–5.1% | 4.3% | |
| Errands alone | 9.6% | 8.3–10.9% | 8.7% | |
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 Elgin door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the South Carolina figure falls inside it, we don't call Elgin better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Elgin directly, so these are its own figures.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South 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.