BRFSS 2024 - North Carolina: (During the past 12 months, have you experienced difficulties with thinking or memory that are happening more often or are getting worse?*)

2024 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Cognitive Decline

During the past 12 months, have you experienced difficulties with thinking or memory that are happening more often or are getting worse?*

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	Total Respond.^	Yes	No
North Carolina	2,259	288	12.4	10.9-14.2	1,971	87.6	85.8-89.1
-Non-Hispanic White	1,612	213	12.8	11.0-14.9	1,399	87.2	85.1-89.0
GENDER
Male	686	98	13.3	10.7-16.5	588	86.7	83.5-89.3
Female	926	115	12.4	10.0-15.3	811	87.6	84.7-90.0
AGE
45-54	320	33	8.6	5.7-12.7	287	91.4	87.3-94.3
55-64	419	65	15.9	12.2-20.5	354	84.1	79.5-87.8
65-74	433	44	10.9	7.8-15.0	389	89.1	85.0-92.2
75+	419	71	16.0	11.9-21.3	348	84.0	78.7-88.1
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S.	86	***	***	***	***	***	***
H.S. or G.E.D.	294	37	13.8	9.7-19.1	257	86.2	80.9-90.3
Some Post-H.S.	448	59	12.0	9.0-15.8	389	88.0	84.2-91.0
College Graduate	780	105	12.2	9.8-15.0	675	87.8	85.0-90.2
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000	43	***	***	***	***	***	***
$15,000- 24,999	90	15	14.8	8.1-25.5	75	85.2	74.5-91.9
$25,000- 34,999	99	***	***	***	***	***	***
$35,000- 49,999	180	26	9.9	6.3-15.2	154	90.1	84.8-93.7
$50,000- 74,999	188	33	19.9	13.7-27.9	155	80.1	72.1-86.3
$75,000+	595	70	10.7	8.2-13.8	525	89.3	86.2-91.8
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes	617	156	23.9	20.0-28.3	461	76.1	71.7-80.0
No	975	51	5.2	3.8- 7.1	924	94.8	92.9-96.2
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran	214	41	16.9	12.1-23.2	173	83.1	76.8-87.9
Non-Veteran	1,396	172	12.2	10.2-14.5	1,224	87.8	85.5-89.8
RURAL-URBAN CATEGORY¹
Urban	385	57	14.9	11.2-19.5	328	85.1	80.5-88.8
Regional City or Suburban County	493	62	11.6	8.6-15.4	431	88.4	84.6-91.4
Rural	734	94	12.4	9.8-15.7	640	87.6	84.3-90.2
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed	608	53	8.4	6.1-11.3	555	91.6	88.7-93.9
Unemployed	37	***	***	***	***	***	***
Retired	807	116	14.2	11.4-17.5	691	85.8	82.5-88.6
Unable to Work	111	31	27.5	18.7-38.4	80	72.5	61.6-81.3
Other not in Labor Force	38	***	***	***	***	***	***
POVERTY LEVEL²
Less than 50%	17	***	***	***	***	***	***
50% to 100%	52	***	***	***	***	***	***
101% to 150%	141	24	17.0	10.4-26.4	117	83.0	73.6-89.6
151% to 200%	67	***	***	***	***	***	***
More than 200%	912	122	12.7	10.4-15.5	790	87.3	84.5-89.6
HOUSING
Own	1,366	168	11.9	10.0-14.1	1,198	88.1	85.9-90.0
Rent	175	35	24.6	17.1-34.0	140	75.4	66.0-82.9
Other arrangement	58	***	***	***	***	***	***
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER³
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1)	296	38	12.1	8.4-17.1	258	87.9	82.9-91.6
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2)	629	87	12.9	10.0-16.4	542	87.1	83.6-90.0
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3)	687	88	13.0	10.2-16.4	599	87.0	83.6-89.8
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX⁴
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable	636	81	12.3	9.6-15.7	555	87.7	84.3-90.4
2nd Quartile	469	62	13.6	10.1-17.9	407	86.4	82.1-89.9
3rd Quartile	392	61	14.4	10.8-18.9	331	85.6	81.1-89.2
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable	115	***	***	***	***	***	***

Total
Respond.^

Yes

C.I.(95%)

North Carolina

2,259

288

12.4

10.9-14.2

1,971

87.6

85.8-89.1

-Non-Hispanic White

1,612

213

12.8

11.0-14.9

1,399

87.2

85.1-89.0

GENDER

Male

686

13.3

10.7-16.5

588

86.7

83.5-89.3

Female

926

115

12.4

10.0-15.3

811

87.6

84.7-90.0

AGE

45-54

320

8.6

5.7-12.7

287

91.4

87.3-94.3

55-64

419

15.9

12.2-20.5

354

84.1

79.5-87.8

65-74

433

10.9

7.8-15.0

389

89.1

85.0-92.2

75+

419

16.0

11.9-21.3

348

84.0

78.7-88.1

EDUCATION

Less Than H.S.

***

H.S. or G.E.D.

294

13.8

9.7-19.1

257

86.2

80.9-90.3

Some Post-H.S.

448

12.0

9.0-15.8

389

88.0

84.2-91.0

College Graduate

780

105

12.2

9.8-15.0

675

87.8

85.0-90.2

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Less than $15,000

***

$15,000- 24,999

14.8

8.1-25.5

85.2

74.5-91.9

$25,000- 34,999

***

$35,000- 49,999

180

9.9

6.3-15.2

154

90.1

84.8-93.7

$50,000- 74,999

188

19.9

13.7-27.9

155

80.1

72.1-86.3

$75,000+

595

10.7

8.2-13.8

525

89.3

86.2-91.8

FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY

Yes

617

156

23.9

20.0-28.3

461

76.1

71.7-80.0

975

5.2

3.8- 7.1

924

94.8

92.9-96.2

VETERAN STATUS

Veteran

214

16.9

12.1-23.2

173

83.1

76.8-87.9

Non-Veteran

1,396

172

12.2

10.2-14.5

1,224

87.8

85.5-89.8

RURAL-URBAN CATEGORY¹

Urban

385

14.9

11.2-19.5

328

85.1

80.5-88.8

Regional City or Suburban County

493

11.6

8.6-15.4

431

88.4

84.6-91.4

Rural

734

12.4

9.8-15.7

640

87.6

84.3-90.2

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Employed or Self-Employed

608

8.4

6.1-11.3

555

91.6

88.7-93.9

Unemployed

***

Retired

807

116

14.2

11.4-17.5

691

85.8

82.5-88.6

Unable to Work

111

27.5

18.7-38.4

72.5

61.6-81.3

Other not in Labor Force

***

POVERTY LEVEL²

Less than 50%

***

50% to 100%

***

101% to 150%

141

17.0

10.4-26.4

117

83.0

73.6-89.6

151% to 200%

***

More than 200%

912

122

12.7

10.4-15.5

790

87.3

84.5-89.6

HOUSING

Own

1,366

168

11.9

10.0-14.1

1,198

88.1

85.9-90.0

Rent

175

24.6

17.1-34.0

140

75.4

66.0-82.9

Other arrangement

***

NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER³

Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1)

296

12.1

8.4-17.1

258

87.9

82.9-91.6

Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2)

629

12.9

10.0-16.4

542

87.1

83.6-90.0

Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3)

687

13.0

10.2-16.4

599

87.0

83.6-89.8

CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX⁴

1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable

636

12.3

9.6-15.7

555

87.7

84.3-90.4

2nd Quartile

469

13.6

10.1-17.9

407

86.4

82.1-89.9

3rd Quartile

392

14.4

10.8-18.9

331

85.6

81.1-89.2

4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable

115

***

Back to Cognitive Decline.

*Asked only of Respondents aged 45 or older.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2024 are NOT comparable to 2010
and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

¹Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

²Based on 2024 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

³NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

⁴Quartile of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index
(https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html) for respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

^Use caution in interpreting cell sizes less than 50, % = Percentage, C.I.(95%) = Confidence Interval (at 95 percent probability level).
Percentages are weighted to population characteristics and therefore cannot be calculated exactly from the numbers in this table.

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This page was generated on 18SEP25.

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2024 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Cognitive Decline

During the past 12 months, have you experienced difficulties with thinking or memory that are happening more often or are getting worse?*