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Madison County, NC Health Statistics

34.6% of adults have obesity and 11.6% have diabetes, among about 22,071 residents.

Obesity
34.6%
#78 of 100 · +1.3 pts
Diabetes
11.6%
#83 of 100 · -0.5 pts
Smoking
13.9%
+1.1 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
8.8%
-2.3 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Tooth loss (65+)18.9% vs 12.6%
  • Cancer10.1% vs 7.7%
  • Hearing8.9% vs 6.8%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Housing insecurity8.8% vs 13.0%
  • Food insecurity11.4% vs 15.9%
  • Received SNAP9.2% vs 12.8%

All health measures

Madison County, NC compared with North Carolina and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereNCU.S.
Obesity34.6%+1.3 pts35.1%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes11.6%-0.5 pts12.0%12.1%
High blood pressure38.3%+3.9 pts36.7%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)37.9%+1.5 pts35.6%36.4%
Coronary heart disease7.6%+1.3 pts6.5%6.3%
Stroke3.8%about the same3.6%3.4%
Current asthma10.7%+0.5 pts10.8%10.2%
COPD8.1%+1.6 pts7.1%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)10.1%+2.4 pts7.9%7.7%
Arthritis30.4%+5.2 pts26.9%25.2%
Depression25.8%+4.2 pts24.2%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)18.9%+6.3 pts13.9%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereNCU.S.
Current smoking13.9%+1.1 pts13.5%12.8%
Binge drinking14.9%-1.0 pts14.7%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity23.0%-2.2 pts23.8%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)30.7%-5.4 pts34.3%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereNCU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)8.8%-2.3 pts10.4%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year80.5%+3.7 pts80.0%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year63.0%+1.3 pts63.5%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)78.1%+2.6 pts76.6%75.5%
Cholesterol screening87.9%+1.7 pts87.5%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)66.5%+2.8 pts65.6%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)77.9%+1.8 pts78.7%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereNCU.S.
Fair or poor general health18.3%-1.5 pts19.0%19.8%
Frequent mental distress16.3%about the same16.5%16.5%
Frequent physical distress13.3%about the same12.6%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereNCU.S.
Any disability33.8%+3.4 pts32.0%30.4%
Mobility disability14.9%+1.1 pts14.2%13.8%
Cognitive disability14.9%+0.6 pts14.9%14.3%
Hearing disability8.9%+2.1 pts7.3%6.8%
Vision disability4.8%-0.5 pts5.3%5.3%
Self-care disability3.8%about the same4.0%3.8%
Independent living disability8.2%about the same8.2%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereNCU.S.
Loneliness30.7%-3.4 pts32.5%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support19.7%-4.9 pts22.6%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year11.4%-4.5 pts15.2%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year9.2%-3.6 pts12.4%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year8.8%-4.2 pts12.2%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year5.9%-2.1 pts8.2%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation6.6%-1.9 pts8.4%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in Madison County, NC?
About 34.6% of adults in Madison County, NC have obesity, compared with 35.1% in North Carolina and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #78 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
How common is diabetes in Madison County, NC?
About 11.6% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (North Carolina 12.0%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Madison County, NC?
About 13.9% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.