The prevalence of adults diagnosed with diabetes in Cumberland County, North Carolina decreased slightly from 13% in 2024 to 12% in 2025. While this one-percentage-point decline reflects modest improvement, it still means that approximately 1 in 8 adults in the county are living with diabetes. Diabetes remains a significant chronic disease burden and continues to impact quality of life, healthcare costs, and long-term health outcomes for residents.

The slight decrease may reflect improved screening, early intervention efforts, increased access to primary care, enhanced chronic disease management programs, and growing community awareness around nutrition and physical activity. Expanded education efforts, preventive health initiatives, and partnerships between healthcare providers and public health agencies may also be contributing to stabilization and early progress in reducing prevalence.

However, despite the improvement, the rate remains high and continues to reflect underlying risk factors within the community. Contributing factors include high obesity prevalence, limited access to healthy food in certain neighborhoods, sedentary lifestyles, socioeconomic challenges, and health disparities that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Because diabetes is closely linked to obesity, physical inactivity, and social determinants of health, continued progress will require addressing these root causes through coordinated community strategies.

The decline from 13% to 12% suggests early signs of positive movement, but sustained efforts are necessary to continue bending the curve downward. Evidence-based approaches that support diabetes prevention and management include increasing access to healthy foods, promoting physical activity, expanding Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPP), strengthening clinical-community linkages, and improving chronic disease self-management education.

Looking ahead to 2026, a realistic goal would be to maintain the downward trajectory and aim for a further reduction to approximately 11–11.5%. Achieving this target will require continued investment in prevention-focused strategies, early screening, culturally responsive health education, and targeted outreach to high-risk populations. By sustaining collaborative, multi-sector efforts, Cumberland County can continue shifting from disease management to prevention and long-term health improvement.