County health data
McDowell County, NC
CDC PLACES estimates diabetes at 13.0% of adults in McDowell County (North Carolina: 12.4%). This county has 17 HRSA shortage designations, 1 hospital, and 18 health center sites.
License. US government work, Public Domain Mark 1.0.
For help with food, housing, utilities, or rides in McDowell County, call 211 or visit 211.org.
Health measures compared with the state
40 measures for adults in McDowell County (about 36,301 adults). 24 have a North Carolina figure from the same survey.
Largest differences from the North Carolina figure: arthritis 31.8% vs 27.2% (+4.6 points), no leisure-time physical activity 26.3% vs 21.8% (+4.5 points), and current smoking 17.0% vs 13.2% (+3.8 points).
Health Outcomes
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis | 31.8% | 27.2% | 26.3% | 2023 |
| High blood pressure | 39.8% | 37.5% | 34.0% | 2023 |
| Cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer | 9.7% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Current asthma | 10.9% | 10.0% | 10.2% | 2023 |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3% | 4.9% | 4.0% | 2023 |
| COPD | 9.6% | 7.0% | 6.3% | 2023 |
| Depression | 26.1% | 23.1% | 21.8% | 2023 |
| Diagnosed diabetes | 13.0% | 12.4% | 11.8% | 2023 |
| High cholesterol, adults ever screened | 39.8% | 36.3% | 37.2% | 2023 |
| Obesity | 35.2% | 34.0% | 34.4% | 2023 |
| Stroke | 4.3% | 3.9% | 3.3% | 2023 |
| All teeth lost, ages 65 and older | 16.9% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Prevention
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, ages 18 to 64 | 11.2% | 12.0% | 9.3% | 2023 |
| Taking blood pressure medicine, adults with high blood pressure | 78.5% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Routine checkup in the past year | 80.0% | 80.5% | 78.4% | 2023 |
| Cholesterol screening | 87.0% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Colorectal cancer screening, ages 45 to 75 | 67.1% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
| Dental visit in the past year | 54.1% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
| Mammogram, women ages 50 to 74 | 74.7% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Health Risk Behaviors
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking | 14.6% | 13.6% | 15.1% | 2023 |
| Current smoking | 17.0% | 13.2% | 12.1% | 2023 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | 26.3% | 21.8% | 24.5% | 2023 |
| Short sleep | 35.2% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Health Status
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health | 21.5% | 19.4% | 18.5% | 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.4% | 15.2% | 15.4% | 2023 |
| Frequent physical distress | 14.9% | 12.2% | 12.6% | 2023 |
Disability
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability | 16.5% | 14.8% | 13.7% | 2023 |
| Any disability | 36.2% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Hearing disability | 9.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 2023 |
| Independent living disability | 9.5% | 7.9% | 7.8% | 2023 |
| Mobility disability | 17.0% | 14.0% | 13.4% | 2023 |
| Self-care disability | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 2023 |
| Vision disability | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.0% | 2023 |
Health-Related Social Needs
| Measure | McDowell County | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support | 21.5% | 2023 |
| Food insecurity in the past year | 15.0% | 2023 |
| Received food stamps in the past year | 12.5% | 2023 |
| Housing insecurity in the past year | 11.0% | 2023 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past year | 8.1% | 2023 |
| Loneliness | 32.1% | 2023 |
| Utility shut-off threat in the past year | 7.5% | 2023 |
Source: CDC PLACES county data, as of December 4, 2025. Publisher page
Source: CDC BRFSS prevalence data, as of September 15, 2026. Publisher page
Health professional shortage areas
HRSA lists 17 designated shortage rows in McDowell County: primary care 6 (highest score 17), mental health 6 (highest score 17), and dental 5 (highest score 17). 3 cover a geographic area or population group; the other 14 are facility designations.
| Discipline | Area or population | Facility | Highest score |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary care | 1 | 5 | 17 |
| mental health | 1 | 5 | 17 |
| dental | 1 | 4 | 17 |
Area and population designations
| Designation | Discipline | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI - McDowell County | primary care | HPSA Population | 17 |
| LI - McDowell County | mental health | HPSA Population | 16 |
| LI - McDowell County | dental | HPSA Population | 16 |
Facility designations (14)
| Designation | Discipline | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAMILY MEDICINE-NEBO | mental health | Rural Health Clinic | 17 |
| HEALTH PLUS OF THE MCDOWELL HOSP | mental health | Rural Health Clinic | 17 |
| MISSION HEALTH CENTER | mental health | Rural Health Clinic | 17 |
| FAMILY MEDICINE-NEBO | dental | Rural Health Clinic | 17 |
| HEALTH PLUS OF THE MCDOWELL HOSP | dental | Rural Health Clinic | 17 |
| MISSION HEALTH CENTER | dental | Rural Health Clinic | 17 |
| MCDOWELL OB/GYN MCDOWELL INTERNAL MEDICINE | mental health | Rural Health Clinic | 16 |
| FAMILY MEDICINE-NEBO | primary care | Rural Health Clinic | 15 |
| HEALTH PLUS OF THE MCDOWELL HOSP | primary care | Rural Health Clinic | 15 |
| MISSION HEALTH CENTER | primary care | Rural Health Clinic | 15 |
| MCDOWELL OB/GYN MCDOWELL INTERNAL MEDICINE | dental | Rural Health Clinic | 15 |
| MCDOWELL OB/GYN MCDOWELL INTERNAL MEDICINE | primary care | Rural Health Clinic | 14 |
| Marion Correctional Center | mental health | Correctional Facility | 12 |
| Marion Correctional Center | primary care | Correctional Facility | 6 |
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page
Hospitals and readmission rates
CMS Care Compare lists 1 acute care or critical access hospital in McDowell County. None has a readmission rate CMS rates worse than the national rate.
| Hospital | City | Stars | Heart failure | Pneumonia | COPD | Heart attack | Hip or knee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE MCDOWELL HOSPITAL | MARION | 3 | 22.8% | 16.5% | 20.7% | n/a | n/a |
Each rate is the share of patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge, July 2023 to June 2025. "n/a" means CMS did not publish a rate for that hospital.
Source: CMS Care Compare hospital general information, as of August 13, 2026. Publisher page
Source: CMS Care Compare unplanned hospital visits, as of September 30, 2026. Publisher page
Health centers
18 active health center sites in McDowell County, run by 2 organizations.
| Site ↑ | Health center | Address | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| East McDowell Middle School | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 676 State St | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at East McDowell Middle | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 676 State St | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at Eastfield Global Magnet | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 170 Eastfield School Rd | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at Foothills Community School | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 174 Lukin St | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at Glenwood Elementary School | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 1545 Old US 221 S | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at McDowell Academy & Early College | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 54 College Dr | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at McDowell High School | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 600 McDowell High Dr | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at Nebo Elementary | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 254 Nebo School Rd | Nebo 28761 |
| MAHEC at Old Fort Elementary | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 128 Mauney Ave | Old Fort 28762 |
| MAHEC at West Marion Elementary | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 820 Marler Rd | Marion 28752 |
| MAHEC at West McDowell Middle | Mountain Area Health Education Center, INC. | 346 W McDowell Jr High Sch Rd | Marion 28752 |
| Marion Elementary School | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 209 Robert Street | Marion 28752 |
| McDowell County Health Center | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 136 Creekview Ct | Marion 28752 |
| McDowell High School | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 600 McDowell High Dr | Marion 28752 |
| North Cove Elementary School | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 401 American Thread Rd | Marion 28752 |
| Pleasant Gardens Elementary | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 100 John Roach Dr | Marion 28752 |
| West Marion Elementary School | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 820 Marler Rd | Marion 28752 |
| West McDowell Middle School | Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Inc | 346 W McDowell Jr High Sch Rd | Marion 28752 |
Source: HRSA health center service delivery and look-alike sites, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page
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Neighboring counties
Medicare plans in McDowell County, NC
About this data
County rates are CDC PLACES model-based estimates of adults, built from the CDC BRFSS survey and Census population data. State and US figures are BRFSS survey results for the same year. They are not averages of counties, and small differences may not be meaningful.
Shortage rows are HRSA designations with status Designated. Scores run from 0 to 25 (0 to 26 for dental); a higher score means greater need. Hospitals are acute care and critical access hospitals CMS lists in the county, with 30-day rates of unplanned readmission. Health centers are active HRSA-funded and look-alike sites.
Rural health plan initiatives are copied as the state wrote them. Nothing here is medical advice.
Source: CDC PLACES county data, as of December 4, 2025. Publisher page
Source: CDC BRFSS prevalence data, as of September 15, 2026. Publisher page
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page