Black Health Profile
Black health in Georgia
3,543,100
Black residents (ACS)
32.60%
Of state population
Georgia has the fourth-largest Black population of any state — 3.5 million residents, nearly a third of the state. The Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta is one of four HBCU medical schools and graduates a disproportionate share of Black physicians practicing in Georgia and across the Southeast. Grady Memorial Hospital's level-I trauma and perinatal services anchor Black maternal care in the Atlanta region.
Georgia consistently ranks in the three worst US states for Black maternal mortality. The Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee reports that more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia are preventable; cardiovascular conditions, hemorrhage, and infection are the three leading causes.
HB 1114 (2022) extended postpartum Medicaid to 12 months effective January 2023 — one of the largest single policy expansions of Black maternal coverage in the state's history. Georgia's Perinatal Quality Collaborative is housed at Emory, and the Atlanta Department of Public Health runs a CDC-funded Reach Initiative for Black cardiovascular health.
Key takeaways
- Black residents: 3,543,100 (32.6% of the state).
- Medicaid expansion not adopted — lowest-income adults without dependent children have no direct path to coverage.
- Medicaid does not cover doula services.
- Certified nurse-midwife scope-of-practice recognized by Medicaid.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension active.
Health outcomes & coverage
Ten race-stratified indicators drawn from CDC, Census, KFF, and SAMHSA primary sources. Each page links the underlying dataset, compares to the national average, and frames the state-specific drivers and policy levers.
maternal mortality
Black women in Georgia die from pregnancy-related causes at 58.3 per 100,000 live births — 3.1× the US national rate of 19.
Read the maternal mortality breakdown
infant mortality
Black infants in Georgia die before age one at 12.8 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
Read the infant mortality breakdown
cardiovascular mortality
Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality among Black residents of Georgia: 368.2 deaths per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 I00-I99).
Read the cardiovascular mortality breakdown
diabetes prevalence
16.1% of Black adults in Georgia have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.
Read the diabetes prevalence breakdown
breast cancer mortality
Age-adjusted breast cancer mortality among Black women in Georgia: 29.8 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C50).
Read the breast cancer mortality breakdown
prostate cancer mortality
Age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality among Black men in Georgia: 43.8 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C61).
Read the prostate cancer mortality breakdown
life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for Black residents of Georgia: 72.9 years (US all-race: 77.5).
Read the life expectancy breakdown
uninsured rate
12.9% of Black residents of Georgia have no health insurance coverage — vs. a US all-race uninsured rate of 8%.
Read the uninsured rate breakdown
Medicaid coverage
About 24% of Black residents of Georgia receive Medicaid coverage. Georgia is a Medicaid non-expansion state.
Read the Medicaid coverage breakdown
mental health access
60% of Black adults in Georgia who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMHSA NSDU…
Read the mental health access breakdown
Policy context in Georgia
Georgia has not adopted Medicaid expansion. Low-income Black adults without dependent children earning above state Medicaid eligibility thresholds and below the ACA marketplace subsidy threshold fall into the coverage gap — uninsured by default. Medicaid does not currently cover doula services. Postpartum Medicaid coverage extends for 12 months after delivery, the federal recommended standard.
Georgia has not adopted Medicaid expansion under the ACA. HB 1114 (2022) extended postpartum Medicaid to 12 months post-delivery. Certified nurse-midwives have full Medicaid practice rights. Doula Medicaid coverage remains under legislative review.
Find Black health providers & resources in Georgia
Counties in Georgia
County-level Black Health profiles for the 3 Georgia counties with the fullest race-stratified data and editorial coverage.
Data sources & refresh cadence
- US Census ACS 5-year 2019–2023, Table B02001 (race) & S1903 (income).
- CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death (D69) & Underlying Cause of Death (D76), 2018–2022 release.
- KFF Medicaid expansion and state coverage trackers, Q1 2026.
- SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 state annual.
- HRSA NHSC workforce data, 2024.
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