Health in Pickens
On most measures Pickens looks like South Carolina as a whole. Where it trails the state most: fewer adults treating high blood pressure (77.6% vs 80.2%).
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Pickens. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Pickens
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Care in and near Pickens
1 hospital in Pickens, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Pickens; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Pickens’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Pickens is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns, and than 72% of towns with similar incomes.
Better than its income would suggest. Pickens is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.
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 the 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): A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D and D− the bottom 15%. There’s no F.
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Pickens 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. 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.
Out of every 100 Pickens adults…
On every condition, Pickens is about the same as South Carolina. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with South Carolina
Share of adults, with the South Carolina figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Pickens adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks South Carolina.
How Pickens adults are doing
About the same as South Carolina on each measure.
1 in 3 Pickens adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
1 neighbor is on TownTapestry in Pickens. Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.7% of Pickens adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.5% across South Carolina.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Pickens adults live with a disability (South Carolina 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
All 40 CDC measures for Pickens
| Measure | Pickens | Likely range | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 38.1% | 34.4–42% | 38.5% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 37% | 33.2–41% | 38.1% | about the same |
| Obesity | 37.3% | 31.1–43.9% | 35.8% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 28.8% | 25.8–32% | 28.5% | about the same |
| Depression | 24.3% | 21–28% | 22.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 14.8% | 12.1–17.7% | 13.9% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10% | 8.8–11.2% | 9.6% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 8.8% | 8–9.7% | 8.6% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 11.6–15.1% | 13.9% | about the same |
| COPD | 8.2% | 7.2–9.4% | 7.5% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 6.9% | 6.1–7.7% | 6.8% | about the same |
| Stroke | 4% | 3.6–4.4% | 3.9% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.7% | 12.5–17.2% | 13.3% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 16.4% | 13.6–19.4% | 15.7% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 26.9% | 23–31.4% | 25.8% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.4% | 31.8–43.1% | 35.8% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 78.8% | 75.4–81.8% | 80.6% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 59.7% | 56–63.1% | 63.1% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 85.6% | 83.7–87.4% | 86.9% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 65.1% | 60.4–69.6% | 69.3% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 73.2% | 65.1–80% | 77.6% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 77.6% | 74.9–80.1% | 80.2% | worse |
| No health insurance | 12% | 10.2–14.2% | 11.8% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 33.1% | 28.5–38% | 31.7% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 23.7% | 20.2–27.3% | 23.6% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.3% | 15.3–19.5% | 16.4% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 21.1% | 18.3–24% | 20.1% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 14.8% | 13–16.8% | 14% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 17.4% | 14.8–20.2% | 17.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 12.8% | 11–14.8% | 13.3% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 8.2% | 7.1–9.4% | 8.9% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 8.4% | 7.3–9.6% | 8.6% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 9.7% | 8.2–11.5% | 10.5% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8% | 28.9–37.1% | 31.5% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 15.7% | 13.6–18% | 15.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15.6% | 13.7–17.6% | 14.3% | |
| Hearing | 7.4% | 6.5–8.3% | 7% | |
| Vision | 5.6% | 5–6.3% | 5.6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8% | 4.3% | |
| Errands alone | 9.3% | 8.1–10.5% | 8.7% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Pickens door to door.
Every figure has a likely range. When the South Carolina figure falls inside it, we don’t call Pickens better or worse.
CDC publishes Pickens directly, so these are its own figures.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Pickens.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The South Carolina figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.