Health · Benton

Benton, TN health

On most measures Benton looks like Tennessee as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (18.9% vs 14.6%).

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

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Benton’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Benton is healthier than 17% of U.S. towns, and than 84% of towns with similar incomes.

CSelf-rated healthC-Physical distressDMental distressDObesityC+DiabetesDSmokingC+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 17%

Less healthyHealthier

Tennessee towns we grade (303)Healthier than 57%

Towns with similar incomes, $22K–$37K (483)Healthier than 84%

Better than its income would suggest. Benton 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, Benton could be anywhere from D− to B−.

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 Tennessee 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 Benton 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. Benton 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 Benton compares with Tennessee

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 Benton adults…

40 of every 100 Benton adults have high blood pressure

Tennessee: 40 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.3–44.1%

Bars show Benton; the black tick is Tennessee. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Benton, betterBenton, worseToo close to callTennessee

Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.8% Benton
TN 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 39.1% Benton
TN 38.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.8% Benton
TN 14.6%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 19.6% Benton
TN 17.3%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Benton adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.

Yearly checkup

TN 78%

Dentist visit

TN 58%

Cholesterol check

TN 87%

Colon screening

TN 63%

Mammogram

TN 75%

Taking BP meds

TN 76%

1 in 9

working-age adults has no health insurance

Benton 11% · Tennessee 1 in 9 (11.6%)

Mind & connection

How Benton adults are doing

1 in 3Benton adults have been diagnosed with depression

31.2% · Tennessee 28.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Benton adults are in frequent mental distress

20.7% · Tennessee 19.3% · too close to call

Disability

Living with a disability

37.3%

of Benton adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.7%

Thinking or memory18.4%

Hearing8.1%

Errands alone9.8%

Vision5.1%

Dressing or bathing4%

Black tick: Tennessee. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Benton

Benton and the towns around it

Care nearby

Affiliate of Vitruvian HealthCleveland · 12.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Starr Regional Medical Center AthensAthens · 18.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Blue Ridge Medical CenterBlue Ridge · 23.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Adventhealth MurrayChatsworth · 30.1 mi · ★★★★★ Directions Medicare profile

Ocoee Regional Health Corporation, Benton Family Health Care CenterBenton · 1.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Cleveland Family Health Care CenterCleveland · 14.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careBenton's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Polk County · need score 16 of 25

! Dental careBenton's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Polk County · need score 16 of 25

✓ Mental healthBenton is not a shortage area

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 Benton. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 33 measures for Benton

Measure	Benton	Margin	Tennessee
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.6%	35.3–44.1%	39.5%	about the same
High cholesterol	39.2%	34.8–43.8%	38.3%	about the same
Obesity	42.6%	34.3–51.5%	37.6%	about the same
Arthritis	32.8%	29.2–36.4%	30.6%	about the same
Depression	31.2%	27–35.7%	28.4%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	18.9%	15.7–23%	14.6%	worse
Asthma	11.3%	10–12.8%	11%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.8%	8–9.8%	8.2%	about the same
Diabetes	12.8%	11–14.8%	13.6%	about the same
COPD	9.4%	8–11.1%	8.6%	about the same
Heart disease	7.1%	6.2–8.1%	7%	about the same
Stroke	3.6%	3.2–4.1%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	19.6%	16.3–23.4%	17.3%	about the same
Binge drink	15.8%	12.9–19%	14.6%	about the same
Get no exercise	27.8%	22.7–33%	26.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	39.1%	32.2–46.6%	38.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	76.7%	72.8–80.3%	78.1%	about the same
Dentist visit	60%	56.2–64%	58.1%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.9%	83.5–88.2%	86.6%	about the same
Colon screening	61.5%	56.2–66.6%	63.2%	about the same
Mammogram	73.4%	65–80.8%	75.2%	about the same
Taking BP meds	75.3%	72.1–78.2%	76.2%	about the same
No health insurance	11%	8.3–14.2%	11.6%	about the same
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress	20.7%	18.1–23.4%	19.3%	about the same
Fair or poor health	22.6%	19.1–26.5%	22.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	16%	13.9–18.4%	14.9%	about the same
Disability
Any disability	37.3%	32.2–42.5%	35.8%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.7%	14.2–19.5%	16.3%
Thinking or memory	18.4%	15.9–21.3%	17.4%
Hearing	8.1%	7.1–9.2%	7.6%
Vision	5.1%	4.4–5.9%	5.5%
Dressing or bathing	4%	3.4–4.7%	4.1%
Errands alone	9.8%	8.3–11.3%	9.5%

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 Benton door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Tennessee figure falls inside it, we don't call Benton better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Benton directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Tennessee 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.