Health · Ozark
Ozark, AL health
Ozark differs from Alabama on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (11.2% vs 14.1%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing a utility shut-off (13.8% vs 9.6%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for OzarkTownTapestry Health GradeNew
D
Ozark’s Health Grade: D
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Ozark is healthier than 5% of U.S. towns.
DSelf-rated healthDPhysical distressC-Mental distressDObesityD-DiabetesDSmokingDExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 5%
Less healthyHealthier
Alabama towns we grade (319)Healthier than 14%
Towns with similar incomes, $37K–$61K (4,927)Healthier than 13%
About what its income would suggest. Ozark does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Ozark could be anywhere from D− to C−.
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 Ozark 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. Ozark 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.
Report card
How Ozark 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
44.3% have obesity
0 better4 close8 worse
Habits
35.8% get no exercise
1 better1 close2 worse
Care & screenings
82.2% had a checkup
0 better5 close2 worse
Mind & connection
36.3% feel lonely
0 better3 close2 worse
Everyday needs
26.3% face food insecurity
0 better1 close4 worse
Disability
44.6% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Ozark adults…
50 of every 100 Ozark adults have high blood pressure
Alabama: 43 in 100 · worse · margin 45.8–54.5%
Bars show Ozark; the black tick is Alabama. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Ozark, betterOzark, worseToo close to callAlabama
Get no exerciseshare of adults
35.8% Ozark
AL 28.7%
AL 28.7%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
40.5% Ozark
AL 39.1%
AL 39.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults
11.2% Ozark
AL 14.1%
AL 14.1%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
19.6% Ozark
AL 15.1%
AL 15.1%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Ozark adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
Yearly checkup
AL 80%Dentist visit
AL 57%Cholesterol check
AL 86%Colon screening
AL 67%Mammogram
AL 78%Taking BP meds
AL 78%1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Ozark 11.7% · Alabama 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection
How Ozark adults are doing
1 in 3Ozark adults feel lonely
36.3% · Alabama 35.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Ozark adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.4% · Alabama 23.3% · too close to call
1 in 4Ozark adults lack social or emotional support
26.3% · Alabama 24.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Ozark adults are in frequent mental distress
18.8% · Alabama 17.2% · too close to call
Everyday needs
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
1 in 4
Ozark adults worry about having enough food
26.3% · AL 19.2% · worse
1 in 6
Ozark adults worry about keeping their housing
18% · AL 13.9% · worse
1 in 7
Ozark adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.8% · AL 9.6% · worse
1 in 7
Ozark adults lack reliable transportation
13.4% · AL 9.8% · worse
22.9% of Ozark adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Disability
Living with a disability
44.6%
of Ozark adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs23.4%
Thinking or memory19.1%
Hearing10.4%
Errands alone13.2%
Vision8.7%
Dressing or bathing6.9%
Black tick: Alabama. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Getting care
Care in and near Ozark
1 hospital in Ozark, plus the nearest just outside it.
HNearest ERDale Medical CenterOzark · 0.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSoutheast Alabama Rural Health AssociateNewton · 8.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.8 mi
Southeast Alabama Rural Health Associate
8 sites · nearest in Newton
Newton Family Health CenterNewton · 8.8 mi
Enterprise Children's Center and Family MedicineEnterprise · 15.5 mi
Dothan Family Health CenterDothan · 18.6 mi
Abbeville Family Health CenterAbbeville · 22.6 mi
Slocomb Family Health CenterSlocomb · 24.1 mi
Se Alabama Rural Health AssociatesTroy · 28.5 mi
Sarha Doctors CenterTroy · 28.5 mi
Clayton Family Health CenterClayton · 30.9 mi
Nothing matches.
! Primary careOzark's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Dale County · need score 18 of 25
! Dental careOzark's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Dale County · need score 17 of 25
✓ Mental healthOzark is not a shortage area
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 Ozark. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Ozark
| Measure | Ozark | Margin | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 50.3% | 45.8–54.5% | 43.3% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 44.6% | 40.1–49.1% | 40.7% | about the same |
| Obesity | 44.3% | 36.7–52.1% | 39.4% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 36.3% | 32.6–39.9% | 30.3% | worse |
| Depression | 24.4% | 20.7–28.1% | 23.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 20.4% | 17–24.4% | 15.4% | worse |
| Asthma | 11% | 9.7–12.4% | 10% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 9.2% | 8.4–10.1% | 8.2% | worse |
| Diabetes | 19.4% | 17.1–21.7% | 14.8% | worse |
| COPD | 11.4% | 10.1–12.6% | 8% | worse |
| Heart disease | 9.7% | 8.7–10.7% | 7.3% | worse |
| Stroke | 5.7% | 5.2–6.1% | 4.1% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.6% | 17–22.2% | 15.1% | worse |
| Binge drink | 11.2% | 9.1–13.6% | 14.1% | better |
| Get no exercise | 35.8% | 30.8–40.8% | 28.7% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.5% | 34.1–47.3% | 39.1% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 82.2% | 79–85.1% | 80.4% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 51.4% | 47.6–55.6% | 56.9% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 85.9% | 84.1–87.6% | 85.8% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 66.9% | 61.8–71.8% | 67% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 73.7% | 65.7–80.7% | 77.9% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 80.6% | 78–82.9% | 78% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 11.7% | 10–13.7% | 9.9% | worse |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 36.3% | 31.2–41.5% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 26.3% | 22.7–30.1% | 24.8% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 18.8% | 16.6–21% | 17.2% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 30.4% | 27–33.6% | 22.8% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 17.9% | 15.8–19.9% | 14.2% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 26.3% | 23.3–29.4% | 19.2% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 18% | 15.8–20.3% | 13.9% | worse |
| Utility shut-off threat | 13.8% | 12.2–15.5% | 9.6% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 13.4% | 12–14.9% | 9.8% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 22.9% | 20.2–25.6% | 14% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 44.6% | 39.9–49.2% | 36.5% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 23.4% | 20.8–25.9% | 17.1% | |
| Thinking or memory | 19.1% | 17–21.2% | 16.1% | |
| Hearing | 10.4% | 9.3–11.6% | 8.2% | |
| Vision | 8.7% | 7.9–9.5% | 6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 6.9% | 6.3–7.5% | 4.6% | |
| Errands alone | 13.2% | 11.9–14.6% | 9.8% | |
About these numbers
How CDC estimates town health
They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Ozark door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Alabama figure falls inside it, we don't call Ozark better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Ozark directly, so these are its own figures.
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.