Sewanee, TN health
Sewanee differs from Tennessee on 19 of 33 measures. It has fewer adults with diabetes (5% vs 13.6%) and fewer adults who have had a stroke (1.4% vs 3.7%). Where it trails the state: more binge drinkers (19.2% vs 14.6%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for SewaneeSewanee’s Health Grade: A
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sewanee is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns and 94% of Tennessee towns.
Wealth explains part of the grade. Sewanee is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.
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 Sewanee 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. Sewanee 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 Sewanee 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.
Out of every 100 Sewanee adults…
Bars show Sewanee; the black tick is Tennessee. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
TN 26.6%
TN 38.2%
TN 14.6%
TN 17.3%
Keeping up with care
Share of Sewanee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Tennessee.
How Sewanee adults are doing
Living with a disability
of Sewanee adults live with a disability (Tennessee 35.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: Tennessee. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Sewanee
No hospital or community health center in Sewanee itself. These are the nearest.
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 Sewanee. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 33 measures for Sewanee
| Measure | Sewanee | Margin | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 19.5% | 16.9–22.4% | 39.5% | better |
| High cholesterol | 23.2% | 20.3–26.2% | 38.3% | better |
| Obesity | 24.5% | 18.9–31.2% | 37.6% | better |
| Arthritis | 13.6% | 12–15.4% | 30.6% | better |
| Depression | 33.4% | 28.6–38.5% | 28.4% | worse |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 12.8% | 10.3–15.8% | 14.6% | about the same |
| Asthma | 11.1% | 9.5–12.7% | 11% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 3.8% | 3.4–4.2% | 8.2% | better |
| Diabetes | 5% | 4.3–5.8% | 13.6% | better |
| COPD | 3.7% | 3–4.4% | 8.6% | better |
| Heart disease | 2.8% | 2.5–3.2% | 7% | better |
| Stroke | 1.4% | 1.3–1.6% | 3.7% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.7% | 6.3–11.3% | 17.3% | better |
| Binge drink | 19.2% | 15.6–23.1% | 14.6% | worse |
| Get no exercise | 18% | 13.7–22.9% | 26.6% | better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.3% | 29.8–43.6% | 38.2% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 71.7% | 66.7–76.1% | 78.1% | worse |
| Dentist visit | 64.1% | 60.4–68.1% | 58.1% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 75.2% | 70.1–79.8% | 86.6% | worse |
| Colon screening | 68.3% | 63.1–73.4% | 63.2% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 75.8% | 68.3–82.7% | 75.2% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 57.6% | 55.1–60.1% | 76.2% | worse |
| No health insurance | 8.3% | 5.9–12.4% | 11.6% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Frequent mental distress | 23.6% | 19.2–27.6% | 19.3% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 13.7% | 10.8–17.3% | 22.4% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 9.4% | 7.7–11.2% | 14.9% | better |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.8% | 24.8–37.1% | 35.8% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 6.9% | 5.8–8.1% | 16.3% | |
| Thinking or memory | 20.1% | 15.4–24.8% | 17.4% | |
| Hearing | 4.2% | 3.6–4.8% | 7.6% | |
| Vision | 3.4% | 2.8–4.2% | 5.5% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 1.8% | 1.5–2% | 4.1% | |
| Errands alone | 8.2% | 6.2–10.4% | 9.5% | |
How CDC estimates town health
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.