Madison, AL health
Madison differs from Alabama on 23 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (7% vs 15.4%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (8.9% vs 19.2%). Where it trails the state: fewer adults treating high blood pressure (73.9% vs 78%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for MadisonMadison’s Health Grade: A
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Madison is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns and 97% of Alabama towns.
Wealth explains part of the grade. Madison is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Alabama ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Madison with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Madison uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
How Madison compares with Alabama
Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.
Chronic conditions
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Madison adults…
Bars show Madison; the black tick is Alabama. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
AL 28.7%
AL 39.1%
AL 14.1%
AL 15.1%
Keeping up with care
Share of Madison adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Madison adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.3% of Madison adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Living with a disability
of Madison adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: Alabama. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Madison
No hospital or community health center in Madison itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Madison. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Madison
| Measure | Madison | Margin | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 34.2% | 31.1–37.4% | 43.3% | better |
| High cholesterol | 37.7% | 34.3–41% | 40.7% | about the same |
| Obesity | 35.7% | 30.9–40.7% | 39.4% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 24.6% | 22.1–27% | 30.3% | better |
| Depression | 21% | 18.3–23.7% | 23.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 7% | 5.7–8.5% | 15.4% | better |
| Asthma | 8.8% | 7.9–9.8% | 10% | better |
| Cancer (not skin) | 7.5% | 6.8–8.1% | 8.2% | better |
| Diabetes | 9.8% | 8.6–11% | 14.8% | better |
| COPD | 4.1% | 3.7–4.6% | 8% | better |
| Heart disease | 4.5% | 4.1–5% | 7.3% | better |
| Stroke | 2.4% | 2.2–2.6% | 4.1% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.9% | 7.7–10.2% | 15.1% | better |
| Binge drink | 15.7% | 13.3–18.1% | 14.1% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 17.9% | 15.4–20.6% | 28.7% | better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36% | 31.6–40.8% | 39.1% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.2% | 77.3–82.8% | 80.4% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 69% | 65.9–71.9% | 56.9% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 89% | 87.7–90.3% | 85.8% | better |
| Colon screening | 70.6% | 66.7–74.3% | 67% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 81.2% | 75.5–86% | 77.9% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 73.9% | 71–76.6% | 78% | worse |
| No health insurance | 5.7% | 4.9–6.6% | 9.9% | better |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 32.6% | 28.8–36.8% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 20.9% | 18.3–23.8% | 24.8% | better |
| Frequent mental distress | 13.7% | 12.3–15.2% | 17.2% | better |
| Fair or poor health | 13.4% | 11.9–15% | 22.8% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 9.7% | 8.7–10.8% | 14.2% | better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 8.9% | 7.8–10.2% | 19.2% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 7.8% | 6.8–9% | 13.9% | better |
| Utility shut-off threat | 5.2% | 4.5–5.9% | 9.6% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 5.4% | 4.9–6.1% | 9.8% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 5.3% | 4.5–6.2% | 14% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.4% | 21.7–27.3% | 36.5% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 9.5% | 8.4–10.8% | 17.1% | |
| Thinking or memory | 10.8% | 9.7–12% | 16.1% | |
| Hearing | 5.6% | 5–6.2% | 8.2% | |
| Vision | 3.1% | 2.9–3.4% | 6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 2.4% | 2.2–2.6% | 4.6% | |
| Errands alone | 5.6% | 5–6.2% | 9.8% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alabama figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.